


Power

by afroprincessofprocrastination



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drugs, Forbidden Love, Gun Violence, M/M, Threats of Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:17:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7744792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afroprincessofprocrastination/pseuds/afroprincessofprocrastination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Power is a game of domniation and control, and often times corrupts the easily corruptible. Neji knew this instinctively. The world of underground drug trafficking was nothing but a game of power and domination drowning in the fires of hell. Gazing across at the two men, he knew they would drag him through the hottest pits of hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow so this will be my first attempt at writing a multichap story ever. Its going to be a long road and tags will be added as neccesary. This story will get pretty dark soon and the themes explored will not be for the faint of heart honestly.This story will feature other characters and pairings as the story progresses but it is mainly a story centering around the world of neji.  
> Please forgive any grammatical errors!

Power

* * *

 

Chapter 1

_He glanced at the clock again as his aunt led Hinata down the hall for bed._

_  
Neji watched the four year old walk after her mother, and once again felt restlessness in his legs_

_. He kicked them absently catching his uncle in the knee. Neji smiled to himself when Hiashi shot him a look._

_  
Serves him right for giving Neji that huge owie, he should kick him again._

_  
“Neji-chan, stop looking at the clock, your father said he wouldn’t be back tonight…” Hiashi said, brows furrowed softly, he was rubbing his knee discreetly under the table._

_  
Neji caught the action, he knew he had a strong kick._

__  
“Tousan, promised he’d take me to the beach again this weekend. Today is his day off,” Neji responded. Hiashi was looking at him kind of like how his father did when he had one of his “sad spells.”  
Neji found the similar expression strange,  they were identical…twinks..(that sounded about right)..His father said that because of that they sometimes copied each other on accident.

_  
Identical twinks were still a weird concept to the five year old_

_._ _  
They were brothers, but his father was younger by a few seconds, so he…looked like his brother completely? But Hima-sama and Hikaru-sama were also brothers and they didn’t look completely alike, they also weren’t identical…twinks… The five year old bit his lip, face scrunching up a bit as he followed the line of his own thoughts, a lot of people in the clan looked alike. He looked a lot like Tokuma, now that he thought about it.  He’d heard his father laugh once about something being selective when he eavesdropped on him and his brother late on night._

_  
He’d gotten caught, both twins calling him out, reprimanding him for staying up past bed time._

_His father got up from the table as Hiashi swept something white and a wad of cash to the side._ _  
His father kneeled in front of him asking him why he was up. Neji was silent for a moment, eyes warily sliding to his uncle. He was the problem. Why was he here? He was staring at Neji, a frown marring his features; Neji grabbed his father’s hand, pulling him a little further down the hall. His father shuffled after him, still able to maintain his crouched position, and Neji wondered how his father could do that. His father was cooler than Hiashi-ojisama, his father was young still and he was prettier, unlike his uncle. Neji made sure to point that out after Hiashi finished hurting the back of his neck with the needle._

_  
“Neji-chan what’s the matter?”Hizashi asked, making the boy stop._

_  
Neji rocked side to side trying to figure out what to say before deciding to be honest like his tousan told him he should be._

_  
“Why is Meany-sama here after he hurt me and yelled at you? I don’t want him here he’s mean. It still hurts and he didn’t even apologize. And since you came home so late… I haven’t eaten,” Neji grumbled, feeling bad when his father lowered his eyes._

_  
“…I’m really sorry Neji-chan,” Hizashi responded after a long pause. He was still looking down, that sad look crossing his features. Neji had made him sad again. Neji was mad at himself. He always made his father sad it seemed. Neji reached out small hands cupping his father’s face, trying to push his cheeks up into a smile with his thumbs. Hizashi caught on to the gesture after a moment and he laughed._

_  
His father smiled at him through his chuckling and Neji blushed a little, feeling warm. His father’s laughter was something he hadn’t heard lately and he’d missed it._

_  
His father had led him to the kitchen after that, blocking his view of the table and fixed him something to eat. Afterwards, even though Neji protested halfheartedly, his father had laid beside him until he fell back asleep._

_  
“Your father’s not coming back …Neji-chan…” Hiashi whispered. His voice sounded wet, and Neji frowned, confused, when there was a sharp knock at the door. Neji immediately perked up, a smile splitting his face, Hiashi looked up with wide eyes._

_  
“Tousan!” he shouted excitedly jumping down from the chair, dodging Hiashi’s hand that darted for him._

_  
“Neji!” Hiashi shouted after him._

_  
“Hiashi?..” he heard his aunt call to his uncle voice laden with concern. Whatever, he was a big boy. He could answer the door._

_  
His father might scold him later, he didn’t like for Neji to answer the door. Neji was a big boy now though, he understood his father’s concerns when he’d run to the door when he was three. Hinata was weak and small when she was three, she was still that at four. But Neji was five, which was half way to ten, which was halfway to twenty. He was practically an adult like his father._

_  
He was excited to see him, little legs carrying him down the hall._

_  
It was extending, its tan hues melting to red._

__  
~~Red. He couldn’t breathe.~~  
“Don’t…” the voice was a whisper, it always was.  
~~His heart was pounding in his chest~~

_  
He ignored it. He was determined to reach the end of that hall.  
“Neji-chan…” it was his father’s voice, fingers swept through his hair.  
Father….  
~~His throat was closing up, he didn’t understand why. Why? Why? There was banging on the door.~~  
_ “…Neji…” __  
“Come here…” it was the ghost of Hizashi’s voice, light pushing in around his figure, blinding-  
~~Somebody was screaming, splitting his head in two, a croaking sound rattling-~~

_  
_ “Neji.”

  
Neji’s eyes opened in a startle, mind slamming a door on the nightmare. His heart was pounding, and he was sweating. His nightmares always felt so real sometimes. Through the curtain of his tangled bed head he stared up at Tokuma, already wishing the man would leave so he could compose himself.

  
_Compose…?_

  
His pulse was still fluttering in his throat. Why? Neji swallowed the wad in his throat.

  
He was thankful his hair and the blanket covered his face well enough to hide him from Tokuma.

  
The man stared down at him, face blank despite the fact that he had invited himself into Neji’s locked room.

  
Well, Tokuma thought his face was blank, but Neji read the worried lines in the set of his brows.

  
“Hiashi-sama has summoned you,” Tokuma informed him, moving to sit. Neji was curled in a ball on his right side, reluctant to make any room. Tokuma noticed the movement, or rather the lack thereof, and scooped what felt like a leg back far enough so he could sit.

  
Neji thought about kneeing him in the back.

  
“Hiashi-sama has requested you, get up,” Tokuma announced again, authority pushing in his voice. Neji didn’t move, looking at Tokuma, blinking slowly like he was about to fall asleep. Tokuma sighed “Hiashi-sama wants-“

  
“I don’t care about what Hiashi wants” Neji bit out, adding the sama as an afterthought as he always did.

  
“Funny that you say that now,” Tokuma spat out. Neji, felt the bite in that. He sat up, throat feeling a little tighter. Tokuma didn’t say anything, turning his head away from Neji, letting his bangs hide his features away. He stood moving to the door, “Don’t be late” he called out, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

  
Neji stared after him, listening to the faint creek of the stairs as the man made his way down.

  
He swallowed the little fist of emotion, smoothing his hair as best he could with his hands.

  
He dropped them, feeling a little sick. They had been doing so well, they had been back to normal these past few months. He had been back to normal. Well at least normal for Neji; he mused.

  
He wasn’t sure what he’d done yet, he’d done a lot of things as of late. It could be anything. Neji felt jittery just thinking about what the man possibly knew. The man saw himself almost like a guardian to Neji, lecturing him in Hiashi’s absence, keeping tabs on him, it felt suffocating.

  
Neji sighed to himself, sliding the reject button on his phone when it started buzzing. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Here” Neji tossed the stack of cash to Hiashi, not bothering to acknowledge or greet the man.  
  
It landed with a heavy thud on Hiashi’s desk. Hiashi didn’t even look at it, instead typing something up on his computer.

  
“And the rest,”  Hiashi sighed. His voice a pitch Neji couldn’t determine. Demand or question, it could be one of those things.

  
Withholding an irritated sigh, Neji reached into his other pocket, pulling out the left over bills and the small baggie of cocaine.

  
Neji held his breath as he set it on Hiashi’s desk.

  
That caused Hiashi to pause. He tilted his head to the side as he reclined back in his chair, regarding Neji with an unreadable expression.

  
“Do you think I’m a fool?” Hiashi started, regarding Neji as if he were just a kid.

  
_No… just a prick…_

  
Neji’s jaw tightened to keep from saying the thought out loud. His tongue swept along his back molars.

  
“No Hiashi-sama, I do not think you are a fool,” Neji replied. It sounded honest,  but Hiashi knew better, as he could taste the sarcasm in his nephews voice. Neji knew, and hoped it tasted sour to his uncle.

  
“You must, if you think you can play me like this,” Hiashi states flatly. “I know you didn’t go on your last run.” Neji’s mouth flattened to a line.

  
 He’d been caught, well almost.

  
“Where were you?”

  
Neji didn’t know why Hiashi was asking him. Hiashi knew where he had been the greater part of last night. He’d sent Tokuma to tail after him, after he’d informed Hiashi of a deal almost gone wrong.

  
“I was at Lee’s,” Neji said nothing more.

  
“Lee…hmf.” Hiashi found Lee to be classless and distasteful for always wearing anything green under the sun. He thought Lee was classless and yet, here he was, one of the biggest coke dealers in Konoha. Hiashi always preferred for his members who dealt for him personally to keep a low profile and remain in the compound. There was less of a risk to him by association, and less of a connection to his lines. Also easier to make sure no one squealed. Either that or make acquaintances with those who also had too much to lose, such as the Uchiha. However, within the last decade or so, a lot of bad blood had been collecting between the two clans.

  
Neji frowned.

  
_I wont let him keep me locked up…_

  
But his hands were tied.  He sold for Hiashi, as well as the rest of the clan. He, like the other branch members, were the main family’s errand boys. Their lackeys, the ones who did the dirty work behind the scenes, manufacturing and selling the purest cocaine Konohagakure had ever received. They were the ones who ran the most risk, while the main family sucked up all the profit.

  
The large accumulation of their wealth had been steadily rising for over a century. Granted, back in the older days the game had been opiates. They were still sold, but only at the client’s request. To cover it all up, the main family had created an excellent ruse to hide the tracks of the large incomings of money for the clan. Financial Banking. And the main family was very good at it. Operations were based in a location far from the main compound and the main banking high-rise here.

  
The Hyuga had ensured that all profit and the secrets of the family remained inside of the clan only. Secrets kept the family in power and surrounded by wealth. Loyalty was a must, and the main family had created a system long ago to keep the branch family under their control, and it had worked for over a century.

  
Neji remembered looking into the clan’s history, and seeing talks of a curse mark that could destroy a branch member’s brain until it was merely a mush that their skulls encased. He shuddered and felt sick even trying to imagine something of the sort. The stress of knowing that the main house members had that much power over him would surely drive him insane. Granted, while the brand on the back of his neck was similar insurance of obedience to the clan, at least they couldn’t kill him like that on a whim. The branch family was branded with tattoos on the back of their necks as soon as the heir to the Hyuga fortune turned three.

  
The mark insured that branch members knew their status and whom they belonged to. The four bars on the left and the four digit code on the back of their necks not only marked them as Hyuga property, but also provided a record for who’s branch spawn they were. Branch members weren’t really considered real people under clan law, and those whom naively thought they could be their own person, or even attempt to leave the business were swiftly dealt with, with little interference from outside forces. Konoha was modern, but it still allowed clans to enforce their own clan law.

A folly of the third leader of the country.

  
Disobedience and the idea of being disloyal to the clan, and possibly exposing their drug business was swiftly dealt with. Murder, further branding, and even mutilation were only a few of the consequences. They were kept in line and silent by fear. The branch family knew not to upset the power over them in fear of punishment. Although there were a few who would speak up against the main family when they could, they were often silenced by other branch members before the main house even caught wind of the anarchist.

  
All were silent about the terror they lived under, except for Neji. He had a spiteful mouth and the privilege of being direct family to the head.

  
Neji didn’t know how to bite his tongue even when speaking to Hiashi. He argued and fought with Hiashi endlessly over the servitude of the branch. He wanted out. Hiashi had reminded him he belonged to the clan wholly, and that the only reason he drew breath was because Hiashi allowed it. Because he _belonged_ to Hiashi, completely in mind and in body. He even occasionally fought with main members whom were under the assumption if they beat him enough when he ran his mouth he would shut up.

  
He did not.

  
Snarling, he’d informed all of them he’d never stop fighting, and Hiashi had knocked his tooth out. Neji had been fourteen at the time. Fourteen and a little terrified his uncle would not get off of him until he was dead.

  
 His grandfather had stepped in, reminding Hiashi he needed to get to an appointment now or he’d be late. He’d stepped over the bloody and bruised teen on his way out, not even glancing back. Hoheto had taken him to the hospital and helped forge accident papers with Ko.

  
When he’d recovered weeks later, Tokuma had taken him to get a new back molar. The process of acquiring the new tooth had been long and painful. Hiashi had almost broken his jaw, but he’d paid for the best oral surgeons to “Fix him up.” Doped up on some of the best pain meds money could buy, and tooth finally completely in place, he’d watch through blurry eyes as Hiashi sat on the edge of his bed and brushed his hair for him. Seated there by his nephew, Hiashi had told him he’d cut out his tongue if he ever told anyone what had actually happened to him. He lightly stroked Neji’s swollen cheek before leaving.

  
Neji’s eyes pinched as he listened to his uncle berate him for making a faithful client leave with no product.

  
_That guy is a piece of shit…_

  
The man had already tried to roofie him twice.

  
“You’ll deliver it to him tonight, I’ve already contacted him and insured him that you’d be at Red Clouds.” Hiashi paused, setting a stone look on Neji. “…And you will be there. Do not shame me again. It’s bad business. Do you understand?” Hiashi finished, turning back to his paperwork.

  
Neji bit his lip, wanting to inform Hiashi of his garbage client but, he had promised Lee he’d meet with him later.

  
He didn’t want to have to cover bruises when he met with his friend or worse, have to cancel completely. The client paid well, and Neji was unsure if his uncle would even listen to how uncomfortable the man made him, so he opted to not waste his time this once.

  
“I understand…” 

***************

 

Fugaku set aside the files he had been reading through with an irritated sigh, rubbing his temple with his free hand. Sales were down, and Sasuke had apparently been running amuck again. He swore the child had some sort of complex, but he had yet to figure out what it was.

  
_I need to reign him in before…_

  
“You summoned me?”

  
Fugaku looked up from under his lashes at his eldest, Itachi. They boy’s voice pitched at the end, and Fugaku couldn’t make out whether he was asking a question or simply stating the obvious. He could never tell anything with the boy, and it unnerved him that he couldn’t see through his own child.

  
“Your brother…”Fugaku started, just barely catching an imperceptible ripple in Itachi’s countenance. “Do you know what he is trying to do?” Fugaku asked.

  
“Trying to do?” Itachi questioned him, brows furrowing a little.

  
“Yes, he’s been running all over Konoha, damn near terrorizing the few clients we have still. Are you aware of his intentions?” Fugaku inquired, leaning on his propped hand.

  
“No, father,” Itachi answered. Fugaku looked up, studying him from under his lashes. There was something going on, but Itachi wasn’t giving anything up. Itachi was very protective of his younger brother, even when he did wrong. Fugaku didn’t really understand their bond, having been an only child. Still, bond between brothers aside, Itachi had always been a mystery, even when he was younger. He had an uncanny eye and could hide anything, including himself from Fugaku’s perceptive eye. Sometimes he swore that Itachi wasn’t actually his son, as the boy was so strange, and seemed to know information he shouldn’t all the time. Fugaku knew he had to have some idea of what Sasuke was doing, and was protecting him.

  
_What is he protecting him from…?_

  
“Very well.” Fugaku conceded after a few seconds, and he leaned back, fishing around his desk for a moment. “That’s not what I called you for, I need you to do something for me,” he said, locating the photograph. He handed it over to Itachi.

  
“This is-“ Itachi began, surprise written on his face, peaking in his voice along with the confusion slowly etching itself in his brows.

  
“Yes, I need you to gather some information for me. Danzo has been stirring things up again, and our sales are in the toilet. I need to know if the Hyuga have anything to do with Shisui’s disappearance.” At the mention of his friend’s name, Itachi’s mouth thinned to a line.

  
“Ever since that deal, Danzo has kept a close eye on the clan,” Fugaku stated, folding his arms across the desk.

  
“ He doesn’t trust us, and frankly, with the way things have been lately, I don’t trust him no more than I trust that snake,” Fugaku spat, a sneer pulling at the corner of his mouth.

  
“The Hyuga have been out for blood ever since what happened all those years ago, I wouldn’t put it past Hiashi to align himself with Danzo to get back at us.” Fugaku continued, taking in Itachi’s stone face.

  
“Follow them, get whatever information you can out, I want to know everything they are doing. But do it quietly, the Hyuga have eyes all around, it won’t be easy.” Fugaku finished, waiting for Itachi to ask any questions.

  
He didn’t, he never did.

  
“Yes, father,” at that, Itachi exited the office.

  
Fugaku leaned back watching him go. He needed him to gather something useful. Nobody was really buying from them anymore, no one was interested in the hallucinogens, more interested in the ease of coke, and the Hyuga’s branch of influence was spreading. The Uchiha were carrying too much risk and not enough reward, especially with the rise of Akatsuki, the police force were playing both sides, and it was getting muddy out there.

  
Fugaku closed his eyes a moment, it had been a mistake teaming up with Danzo all those years ago. His alliance with the crooked FBI director had been a huge mistake, with a high cost, but it had prolonged the life of his clan by allowing them to seize control of the police. The reward had been a safety net but the cost was catching up.

  
He needed to know what was going on, who was taking what side, and he needed to know quickly.

  
Mafia style work had been on the decline for years, and with interest waning steadily in the clan with money only trickling in from the police force, times would be tight soon. The sell of the hallucinogens kept their clan’s compound afloat, with it gone, Danzo could easily begin isolating them from spheres of influence, and that was death.

  
It had happened to the Uzumaki already

.  
They had been top notch, but were squeezed out steadily from the underground with raid after raid, after that, their political stronghold in the capital waned until it was none existent. The fourth leader of Konoha had tried to make amends, for his son and his wife’s sake, but trust was thin with him. The streets were dangerous without some kind of political protection. He’d been mysteriously assassinated by an extremist only a few days before signing into law a clan protection act.

  
Afterwards, numerous “accidents” had lead to the diminishment of the clan, until the tragedy of a member murdering everyone within the compound.

  
Danzo had appeared on television, addressing the country of the tragedy. Fugaku knew he was lying, when he called what happened unfortunate.

  
Word on the street was that Kushina, had threatened to expose “Danzo’s schemes”. What schemes she meant were anybody’s guess, she’d died in her sleep taking it to her grave. The whole clan had been killed, except for a little boy, Naruto, who had been under the protection of the third, and now the fifth leader of Konoha. He was safe for now, anything that happened to him would be under direct scrutiny. Some members of the main city, Konoha, gossiped that the little boy had somehow put the poisonous gas in the air ducts of the compound as a prank gone wrong. Danzo had tried to underhandedly mount a case against him, but it seemed so unlikely that it had been thrown out in the end.

  
 Many suspected that Danzo worked in the underbellies of Konoha, but even Fugaku was unsure of his influences even after seeking his help to deal with the Hyuuga. As the head FBI director and member of the board of Konoha, the man’s record was spotless. It had to be forged, the incident had proved how ruthless the man was, an even showed Fugaku how far he himself would go for his clan. There was no way the man didn’t have underground entities under his control, but Fugaku could never find anything other than the ANBU investigative team.

  
After the Hyuga incident, he’d stopped looking for dirt on the man. Fugaku had enough blood and dirt on his hands that trying to expose Danzo would inevitably expose himself and the corruption of the police force as well.

  
And he couldn’t risk that. He’d go down for his clan, for his boys and his wife. But there was no way on hell he’d pull them under with him, should he have gone after Danzo.

  
Fugaku loosened a heavy sigh. The man was an undercover tyrant. He ran the ANBU team with an iron fist, and his power even with that faction unnerved some of the heads of other clans within Konoha itself. The man had been delegated power in ways Fugaku couldn’t help but be wary of. The third in his ignorance had given board members powers to oversee investigative and policing forces when the Lightning country had been caught at the border, smuggling in Hallucinogens. Danzo had tightened his leash on the police force, and raids had shut down many Uchiha processing sites.

  
Danzo was plotting something, but he was unsure of what. He’s confronted the man and he had feigned ignorance, stating simply that someone had tipped him off and under the law he was inclined to stop any illegal activities. He had then asked  Fugaku if his officers had known anything about the plants.

  
Fugaku had responded no.

  
The bastard was toying with him, why, Fugaku didn’t know. Added to that disappearance of Shisui was taking its toll on the force, making it clear that Danzo was plotting something, and Fugaku knew in his gut there was a storm brewing. 

* * *

 

Neji breathed a sigh of relief as he recounted the bills in his hands.

  
He had just finished his run and had stopped in the bathroom to recount the bills he acquired. He knew the amount was correct, but the drug business was shady. Hiashi would have his blood if he had been shorted even a nickel, the fact that he hadn’t exploded from Neji’s incomplete run had been luck. Hanabi was to thank for that. Her dance recital was tonight, and Hiashi had promised her he’d be in attendance with her sister.

  
Hence Neji’s bruise free face.

  
He swiped his tongue acrosss his back bottom teeth again, before recounting the money a fourth time.

  
He couldn’t focus on the bills in his hand, the memory of his encounter with the man still fresh on his mind.

  
The man’s hand had felt like spiders crawling on his skin. He had ushered Neji back toward his private lounge with a hand firmly on his shoulder. Neji had knocked it off with a glare.

  
The man had only laughed, saying how he’d enjoy this game with him.

  
Neji itched to wipe the smirk off his face.

  
His fingers twitched and suddenly the stall he was in seemed too small. He bolted out of the restroom quickly, making a beeline for the exist before trying his luck at getting a free drink at the bar. At 19 he could get in the door no problem now, but Hiashi had never allowed him to get a fake I.D. It honestly hadn’t been that big of a deal, Neji didn’t really like to drink anyway, but something about the whole encounter had irritated him. Childishly, he’d argued over the fact that Tokuma had a fake I.D when he had been his age. Hiashi of course had come right down to his childish level that day.

  
Taking a seat at the bar, Neji smiled a little at the memory. It was one of few arguments that had not ended with bruised egos, blood, or scabs being pulled back with such force that new wounds were made.

  
_Lighthearted…_

  
Something his uncle was not.

  
He definitely wasn’t the following week after.

  
Neji frowned, and caught the eye of the bartender. The man took in his appearance slowly. He was dressed a little more casually than the other club goers in black jeans, a black and grey hoodie and black shoes.

  
The man’s eyes trailed upwards, gaze lingering on his full lips and the dark tresses that framed his face, and Neji barely stopped himself from smirking.

  
_Sucker…_

  
 Neji flipped his hair over his shoulder, sending what he hoped was a sexy gaze. From the man’s reaction, it was clearly not. Confusion crossed the man’s features before he turned to attend to the other patrons. Neji frowned, tempted to reach for the man’s bottle on his right and chuck it at the bartenders head. When he tried it never worked, and he honestly didn’t know what people saw in him. He didn’t have a sexy bone in his body, and yet whenever he wasn’t trying men and women would approach him for hookups and after sex gave him their numbers.

  
He never called them. It was too risky.

  
Sighing at the lost opportunity for a free shot, Neji crossed his arms in front of him. He needed….something. He felt so antsy being in the club after the moment in the bathroom. Sometimes he got a quickie with someone before meeting Kidomaru so he’d be relaxed when meeting the bastard.

  
He hadn’t needed to seek the distraction of anyone last week since he didn’t go on that run, and the week before, the guy’s dick had been so weak that Neji had left in the middle of it.

  
Sighing heavily, he stared across at the bottles in front of him, milky gaze taking in all the alcohol on the shelves. It was unlike him, he noted dully. Tokuma had mentioned he hadn’t been his normal self as of late, but Neji wasn’t sure what his normal self was anymore. He hadn’t known since his father’s death all those years ago. He remembered that despite his branding he’d been happy, he guessed, but after the tragedy he changed. He had bouts of anger and fury he didn’t understand. Then he’d go through times of crushing hopelessness for his situation as a servant, before jumping back to anger, although there were times when he was neither of those. Neji guessed that was the usual self Tokuma had fallen for.

  
Neji shook his head to himself.

  
_Foolish…_

  
Neji had never been good at maintaining healthy relationships even when he tried. It’d gone downhill and Hiashi had later found out.

  
“What are you doing here at a night club, Hyuga?” Neji’s brow ticked at the use of his surname, feeling a few eyes turn toward him.

  
The gun against his hip felt a little heavier as he turned to his left to address the boy who’d spoken to him, and was surprised to see Shikamaru lazily leaning against the counter.

  
“Same as you apparently,” Neji replied. Shikamaru smirked, looking off to the side, in contrast to Neji, Shikamaru was dressed for the club scene.

  
_Shocking actually…_

  
For a guy renowned for his laziness he cleaned up well. His hair was down, and he dressed in black pants, shining shoes, and an expensive jacket, Neji still couldn’t help but think the boy looked a little ridiculous in the ensemble.

  
“I’m just out having some fun,” Shikamaru started and his voice was so flat that Neji could’ve sworn the man had been bored to tears.

  
Neji leaned in close enough that his words wouldn’t be heard

.  
“Hmm, something tells me the head of the DEA’s son wouldn’t hang at a sleazy night club for shits and giggles.” He hadn’t meant for it to come out so coldly, as he leaned away from Shikamaru then. He hadn’t meant to come off as aggressive either, only to state facts. He frowned, and Shikamaru looked at him, eyes scrutinizing his features. Neji propped his arm up on the counter, hand subtly brushing the front of his hoodie. Then Shikamaru did the last thing he expected.

  
He smiled, eyes crinkling. Neji was thoroughly confused by the reaction. Shikamaru continued to smile.

  
“Troublesome, but you got me,” Shikamaru confessed,  reaching one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. “I’d definitely rather be anywhere else, but…” Canting his weight to the side, he trailed his eyes up Neji’s jean clad leg to his hoodie, “Duty calls.” He stared at the hoodie pocket, and Neji smiled bitterly.

  
He was staring at where Neji’s hand had brushed, where not only an hour before he’d had enough coke stashed to end his life forever. Except now crisp bills lined the pocket instead. He’d been caught, kind of.

  
Neji hummed, sliding out of his seat, before turning to leave. Shikamaru followed him as he suspected.

  
Exiting the night club, Shikamaru was almost stopped by the bouncer who whispered something in his ear. He narrowed his eyes and nodded quickly, hand flying to his hip.

  
Neji clocked the action, as Shikamaru followed him away from the door to the corner.  
He watched him from under his lashes as Shikamaru regarded him with just his profile. Neji titled his head up rocking his weight to one side.

  
“Who’s the rat in there?” Neji asked plainly. “Don’t lie, even if I didn’t see you brush your badge anybody in the game with eyes could tell you work for the DEA,” Neji said.  
Shikamaru smirked, irritation pulling at his lips. He reached for his pocket and Neji contemplated how quickly he could exit the scene.

  
“You know they usually commend me for my eyes and intelligence down at the office,” Shikamaru started, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. Taking a drag from it, he watched the smoke. He sounded like he didn’t really understand why. Neji snorted, going to cross his arms but choosing to to step in front of Shikamaru instead.

  
“Hmm you may be book smart, but you’re lacking in street smarts.” Neji said, mirth playing on his lips, eyes cold. “I always thought you were captain obvious even in school, however.”  
Shikamaru laughed at that, a smile once gain gracing his features, and Neji felt his own soften.

  
“If you’re finished analyzing me now, two can play that game,” Shikamaru said, a smile still on his lips as he brought the cigarette up to his mouth again. Exhaling, “Besides, in a room full of people who want to ignore what’s right in front of them, stating the obvious is often necessary.”

  
_What is he getting at…?_

  
Neji, made a show of feigning like he was taking in the information as real food for thought.

  
“And what do you see right now?” Neji asked.

 Toe twitching as he saw in his periphery an unmarked car slowly creeping up down the street. Its lights were off. His pulse jumped a little. He kept his pokerface and eyes on Shikamaru.

  
Shikamaru was quiet a moment, pulling the cigarette from his mouth, eye sliding to the black car stopped just in front of the club entrance.

  
“…a challenge.” He said quietly. He made no move to signal for the car.

  
Neji stepped up closer, lips parting and chin tilting a little. Shikamaru placed the cigarette between his lips, and Neji turned his back to the car, taking a drag from it. He looped his hair behind his ear and his eyes lowered to half moons, tongue swiping across his lips. He missed

Shikamaru’s pupils dilate slightly and the gesture.

  
Anxiety ran up and down his spine.

  
“What do you want…” Neji finally asked him, eyes ahead. He was slowly shifting his weight to the balls of his feet, ready to make a run.

  
“You.”

  
Neji turned his head sharply at that and Shikamaru put his hands up in a placating gesture.

  
“Not that way Hyuga” he rushed out. “Shogi, you seem like you’d be a formidable opponent.”

  
“Are you 200 years old?” Neji retorted, annoyance pushing into his voice. “Or do you think I’m foolish enough to spend my free time playing games with the DEA’s son?” Neji asked, pulling the cigarette from Shikamaru to his lips.

  
“You were foolish enough to chat him up outside of the nightclub, in front of all those paying customers.”

  
Neji smirked, before tucking his lips into a line.

  
_Touché…_

  
He’d hear Hiashi’s mouth later when word got around.

  
_What’s a little more…?_

  
Neji nodded, turning to face Shikamaru fully, tracing his features, the sharpness of his eye and the stud in his ear.

  
“Ok”

  
“Ok?”

  
“Yeah, I think there’s a parlor in the north-side”

  
Neji didn’t miss the smile he smothered, it pulled at his cheeks and Neji found himself a little disappointed it didn’t reach to the other man’s lips.

  
“Meet me there,” Neji said, crushing the cigarette then.

  
“When?” Shikamaru inquired, turning to walk back toward the night club, and the car turned it’s lights on rolling toward them.

  
“You’ll know,” Neji said tucking his hands in his pocket. Shikamaru turned and looked back at him mouthing something at him.

  
Neji turned, walking calmly around the corner, before breaking into a sprint down the adjacent alley. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

His father had been planning a coup, despite the danger of such a notion due to his branch status.

He was well known underground, and any attempts at seizing power would have rocked the clan, torn them asunder until their empire would have crumbled completely.

Hiashi refused to entertain his foolishness when he’d discovered his brother entertaining the idea.

 Hizashi had formulated a plan to get rid of his brother for good, to Hiashi’s shock that night he’d heard the servants speaking. He’d beaten Hizashi half to death, and threatened to kill Neji. The fight had gone out of Hizashi instantly at the threats to his son. He knew it wasn’t an empty threat, for Hiashi had already executed co-conspirators in front of the whole clan with his own pistol.

  
Hizashi could not believe his brother would kill his son. It was unfathomable. But as he lay in the hospital with a mild concussion and broken ribs, he knew his brother was capable of it.

  
Later he discovered his father had actually planned to have the child murdered, and Hiashi had been the one to step in. His father told him he’d have killed Neji to get Hizashi to stop his foolishness, that his brother had been a bigger fool than even him.

 He’d saved his son’s life it appeared.

Later Hiashi had told Hizashi he’d do something he might regret if Hizashi so much as murmured about their father’s plans or Hizashi’s coup in the underground world.

  
In the hospital taking in Hiashi’s words, Hizashi had quelled the uproar within himself to an angry and defeated simmer. Hiashi had patted his good leg, and Hizashi had grabbed his wrist.

 Nobody knew what was exchanged between them.

  
That night Neji had been allowed to see his father. The sleepy little boy had climbed into Hizashi’s bed, careful not to jostle Hizashi’s broken leg. He’d done it anyway. Hizashi hid his grimace.

The three and a half year old had told his father to be careful driving next time as he settled his favorite stuffed toy into Hizashi’s side. He’d told Hizashi that since he couldn’t drive with his leg hurt, that’d he’d drive him around instead, he had been practicing since yesterday.

  
He’d curled up against Hizashi’s side after that, falling right to sleep. After he’d fallen asleep Hizashi tensed, hearing the slow heavy tread of his father outside his door, and then the lighter tread of his brother briskly approaching from what Hizashi deduced to be the opposite corridor.

  
Arguing.

  
He could hear it whisper under the door, and he folded his good arm around Neji, hugging the small boy to his side. His head had lolled onto Hizashi’s sore stomach, but Hizashi couldn’t be bothered. Not even when the little boy started drooling on him. He welcomed it, enjoying the feeling of his child alive against him. His eyes darted around the room but nothing was close enough and Hizashi felt his heart rate elevate. He was thankful he’d been allowed to yank the monitor out of the wall.

  
A moment later his door had whispered open.

  
Creaking and the sound of multiple footsteps sent his pulse skyrocketing.

  
He’d use his teeth if he had to.

  
A second bed was wheeled into view and his brother lingered by the door until the medics left.  
Entering, he’d peeled Neji from his brother’s side and settled him in the other bed, stroking the little boy’s cheek tenderly. Hizashi had watched his son turn toward the touch, and studied the regretful look his twin had settled on his child. He could feel his face pulling into the same expression as Hiashi’s. Face unconsciously trying to mimic the lines of his twin’s. Standing, Hiashi had told Hizashi what the deal was.

  
What his fate would be : Sealed.

  
Hizashi had swallowed hard.

  
Afterwards, his brother had pressed a pistol with a silencer in his hands, and walked away… 

* * *

 

He’d ended up closer than he would have liked near the red light district, the light reflecting eerily in his eyes.

  
_“Not the compound.”_

  
That was all Shikamaru had mouthed at him. No other information, and no other hint as to what was going on. He’d probably only guessed that patrons might be monitored. The bouncer was the informant.

  
_Fucker…_

  
Neji thought darkly.

  
The DEA had to know that the night club was an Akatsuki run, and that gang was nothing to play with. They pushed everything, and law enforcement was nothing to them. Without the good business and the best coke Konoha had ever seen, Neji knew they could have sold the Hyuuga out no problem.

  
Fear alone held them in high respects.

  
It was the same for the Hyuga, but the Hyuga made you disappear.

  
The Akatsuki strung you up like a Christmas display.

  
Some murders had seemed ritualistic and so twisted that even Hiashi himself called them cruel.  
Tokuma had slid his gaze to the clan leader’s head as if he had just spoken in tongues.

  
Hiashi had just ordered the murder of a whole family because they’d threatened to expose the Hyuga dealings.

  
Hiashi must have felt the look.

  
“Business is business, a bullet between the eyes in your sleep is better than being stabbed over 32 times for the hell of it,” Hiashi growled.

  
Neji couldn’t help but morbidly agree.

  
Under a red sign he pulled out his phone, extracting his sd card he crushed it under foot.  
He needed a new phone quick, looking around, he walked deeper into belly of the red light district.

  
He steered cleared of this part of town for a reason.

  
“Hey sweetheart wanna have a good time..?”

  
“You look like you need a mommy, I can take care of you…”

  
Neji upped his pace, briskly, spotting an open air restaurant he ducked inside. There were a few patrons sitting amongst themselves chatting. Neji sighed taking a seat. Time was of the essence right now.

  
“Mind if I take a seat?”

  
_Bingo…_

  
“No problem,” Neji turned, trying to keep his movements relaxed. People always hit on him when he didn’t need them to waste his time. Neji closed his eyes, mentally trying to copy the sexy gazes Tokuma would send him at the most inappropriate times.

  
“What’s someone like you doing here?” The man inquired.

  
Neji’s eyes snapped open. Confusion filling his gaze before the he realized the man had opted to sit beside him on the bench.

  
_Damn…actually no this works…_

  
The man was handsome, but something about him screamed make this quick. The platinum white hair and violet eyes were a unique and handsome combination, but a little freaky too.  
You have white eyes….his brain reminded him.

  
Neji’s eye twitched a little, irritated at himself.

  
He’d indulged the man in useless drivel, before feeding him some nonsense about wanting to see him later. The guy had rested his hand on Neji’s thigh before whispering how he wanted to fuck him already.

  
_So tactful…_

  
He’d tried to go along with it, and at his stilted attempts at being sexy the man had asked him if he was a cherry boy.

  
Neji had wanted to smack him. Instead replying that the man could fix that. After another five minutes of going back and forth the man had given him his phone.

  
_Fucking finally…_

  
How he managed to slip the chip into the man, Hidan’s, phone was amazingly quick and Neji’s business.

  
Scrolling through his contacts he’d sent one number to the main phone, and two to Hiashi’s proxy. After he’d successfully finished, he’d texted his pseudo number in the man’s phone.  
Never know when you need to be “fucked so hard you’ll feel me for days, or when he’d need to be stuffed full.”

  
Neji had hidden his displeasure at the last comment and filed a few others away. He swore the man had watched some really outrageous hentai and was now trying the lines on him. He’d bid the man a good night, and forced himself not to glare when he’d slapped his ass and groped him as he rose.

  
“Not a lot to show but you’re hiding a nice handful there!” Hidan had announced.

  
Neji pulled his face into hat he hoped was not an expression of rage as he told the man he’d call him.

  
Scurrying away Neji marveled at the fact that the man hadn’t pulled his cock out in the restaurant and tried to force his way into his mouth.  
_Luck…or…_

  
Neji shook his head, glanced around to make sure he wasn’t followed and headed to Tenten’s apartment. 

* * *

 

The sting had been semi successful.

Shikamaru watched through bored eyes a loud mouthed girl was lead out in handcuffs along with the bartender, a dancer and the dj.

An officer had informed him that the main suspects had been tipped off already and had fled. Also that “a mysterious moody looking girl” seemed suspsicous and that they were currently on patrol looking for her..

_Moody looking…that had to be neji, heh, that’s actually kind of funny._

“Let hi- her go, I doubt she is connected to any of this. We have who we need.” Shikamaru vocalized, ignoring the read haired woman who hadn’t stopped cursing him since she’d been forced in the backseat.

He leaned against the window, and his eyes pinched when the woman kicked the glass, shouting about how his mother should have swallowed.

_Who even thinks of that…?_

Feeling a little nauseous of thinking of his old lady or old man in any sexual situation Shikamru lit a cigarette, tuning the woman out.

The bouncer had tipped them off to _possible illegal activities_ occurring in the night club and Shikaku had sent his son in his stead.

Shikamaru recalled their stimulating conversation.

“ _That’s troublesome you go.”_

_So articulate…_

Shikamaru thought, lidding his eyes to half masts as they finished sweeping the club. It was clean of heavy drugs.

Shikamaru had the bet the woman was hyped up on some other world level _something._

_Does she ever shut up…_

“Love a woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind.”

Shikamru smirked, turning to address the man.

“When she speaks like this, it gives a man pause.” Shikamaru paused quickly pulling a drag from his cigarette “Women are way too troublesome for me.” Shikamaru finished right as Asuma knocked the cigarette out of his hand.

The woman in the car laughed, turning her tirade onto Asuma.

_Thank you…he’s a perfect target._

She was calling the man a bear, and Shikamaru’s cheeks heated. It was worth the laugh when Asuma just looked confused at her statement.

“Bear?” Asuma asked.

Shikamaru guffawed at that.

“Just Google it with Kurenai later I’m sure she’d enjoy it.” Shikamaru stated, barely stopping the laugh.

Asuma frowned at him eyebrows pulling together until he registered her name.

He immediately smiled and Shikamaru swore he could see the warmth filling him up.

Shikamaru’s eyes softened a little.

“By the way” Asuma coughed a little, “Zeta team is here” Asuma pointed over to the men standing around, surveying.

Shikamaru’s brows furrowed.

“Why?”

“Dunno” Asuma responded.

“But I do know an Uchiha kid has gone missing.”

Shikamaru’s ears perked at that, and his eyes narrowed.

“Are they looking for him here?” It would make sense in a way, people turned up missing all the time when they went to clubs in this part of town. However, it was not as bad as Six Paths.

“Don’t know that either, that’s for you to figure out,” Asuma said, smiling around his cigarette.

“Huh” Shikamaru balked. “That’s not my job description nor is it my problem,” he said closing his eyes and folding his arms behind his head.

“You need a challenge. Plus it could help with the Hyuga case, I know youre interested in opening one. Am I wrong?”

“I need you to stop trying to put extra things on my plate” Shikamaru responded, lips twisting a little, “Give that to mr avenger over there” he jerked his thumb at Sasuke, whom was barking out orders.

“Avenger?”

“He looks like the type” Shikamaru supplied. “Goes on a whole journey to avenge something or other and can’t even figure out he’d been tricked into doing it the whole time.”

Manipulated was a better word considering what Shikamaru had just done.

He frowned a little at the thought.

_I’m..not like that…_

“My works done, I’m going home, clean up for me will ya?” With that, Shikamaru made a quick exit from the scene, ignoring Asuma’s stammering and calls for him to come back.

He walked slowly, a few blocks before reaching his car, checking to make sure nothing was unusual he started his drive home, mind not focused on the reports, but on eyes the color of clouds.

* * *

 

 

Ten Ten had greeted him at the door.

Clad in shorts and her favorite pink bra, she’d welcomed neji in without complaint.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” she started laughing at the look Neji shot her.

She turned heading back toward her bedroom and Neji followed her.

“I still can’t believe you have all of these on your wall,” Neji said exasperated eyes straying to her covered walls.

A few weeks ago Lee had almost gotten his head chopped off by the _one and only limited edition replica of –_ some ancient whatever Neji couldn’t remember.

_Just thinking about it is a hassle…_

“Oi, that was all Lee’s fault for trying to do a _headstand_ literally underneath it by the wall.” Ten Ten defended. She rummaged in her drawers before tossing Neji his spare sleeping shirt and some pajama pants.

As he slipped them on he felt Ten Ten roam her gaze over his body.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Neji grunted out, as he slipped on the plain white shirt.

Ten Ten laughed.

“Already have a mental one hot stuff,” she laughed when Neji opened his mouth.

“You still remember that?” he asked, voice almost a little horrified.

“How could I forget” she started dragging the “t” out playfully. “A girl can’t help but notice what you’re packing down there.”

Neji could not hide the embarrassed flush. He opted to monopolize her bed.

She laughed again, moving closer to the doorway with a spare shirt to slip her bra off and don the shirt.

Behind him she thought he couldn’t see her.

_I don’t know the big deal… I’ve seen her breasts before…plenty._

Sometimes women were strange creatures.

_Ten ten’s a strange creature_ his mind corrected.

“I can still see you, you know.” She jumped and Neji smirked at the reaction.

“Of course you can,” she shouted doing her best to sound irritated, but amusement overshadowed it. “You Hyugas are so _creepy,_ ” She uttered moving to stand out in the hall to change. “I bet you can see through this too huh,” she called out.

“Maybe” Neji called back, laughter pulling a little in his voice. Going along with the banter, he turned a little to free his mouth from his face down dive into the bed. “Although I’d probably have to squint just a little”

It was no secret Hyugas had extremely good vision. People claimed they could even see behind their heads, as if they had eyes there. It wasn’t completely unfounded, it was only a half truth. Through a genetic mutation, the Hyuga clan had acquired extremely good peripheral vision. It was the reason their eyes were all white with only hints of lilac or grey because of the shadows of their eyelids because of some scientific whatever. All of the science behind their vision was in the clan library, off limits to all except those within the clan.

Neji closed his eyes, releasing a tired sigh. Curling onto his right side, he set his chip on the nightstand.

_Hiashi just might wring my neck…_

Eyes were everywhere, even when it appeared they weren’t. He was sure somebody would call in that they saw him talking to Shikamaru. Talking to the feds in any capacity was a huge no, unless they also had shit to lose. It was made all the worse considering who Shikamaru’s father was.

Years ago there had been a close call with the Nara’s.

Maybe that’s why Hiashi hated Shikaku’s guts. The man had almost cost Hiashi every-

“You are the only person who can pull off this look” Neji felt a finger poke between his brows, “Half way to sleep frowning and still make it look cute” he heard her laugh.

On the side where his back faced, he’d left plenty of room for her, but instead she shimmied into bed, pressing her butt up against his pelvis. Neji sighed, she loved getting a _rise_ out of both him and Lee. She wasn’t into him, Neji felt she was more interested in Lee honestly, but there was no denying she found him attractive.

She’d said it to him in fact.

_Always bold…_

He hadn’t denied the feeling was mutual. She was pretty, and they would probably look cute together but it would never work.

She cared for him obviously, but Lee still topped her in that department. Sometimes she joked that Lee was _his number one “bottom bitch”_ and she was the side chick. Neji had heard the lingo before, some of the branch members tossing the term around but he still didn’t completely get it. He probably would have, had his uncle not assumed full custody of him, instead of allowing him to float about the branch system.

Hiashi had always been stuck-up and traditional.

He couldn’t deny her that claim. At first he thought her a little mad, jealous that Lee did put a lot of his time and energy into Neji. But she had been nothing but smiles and laughter with him; not a hint of malice in her voice or body language whenever Lee put his arm around Neji’s shoulder and not hers.

He knew however that Lee would always be there for him, he’d visited Neji that time Hiashi had knocked his tooth out, he’d been furious and would not believe the slurred dribble Neji had tried to feed him. At the time he’d been intent on knocking Hiashi’s tooth out he’d only stopped because Neji had weakly grabbed his wrist. Ten Ten had only messaged him.

He’d come to school sometimes with bruises, Lee would be upset and Neji knew although he’d fake a smile and corroborate Neji’s bullshit story. Ten Ten believed them all, not ever asking a question.

Neji wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

* * *

 

 

 

Neji had sent out the text from an unknown number and all operations had been suspended.

Hiashi frowned, irritation pulling at his brows, disappearing temporarily when his daughters came into view after Hanabi’s dance recital. Hiashi recalled the memory of Hanabi excitedly chattering to her sister about how “ _absolutely stunning I was on stage”_ and filed it away along with Hinata’s soft laughter.

He’d managed to hide his mounting irritation and anger from his daughters, desperately not wanting to put a damper on the night, but on the ride back Hinata had sensed it seeping through.

Sitting in his study now staring down the three main house members and three branch house members over tonight’s operations, the easy façade was gone.

Hiashi motioned with his right hand, and a branch girl scurried over to the mini bar on his right, retrieving a glass, reaching for whisky.

“Red.”

She stopped on command, bending and reaching for the red wine.

It looked like blood, and Hiashi sipped it slowly.

“Explain to me…”He started voice low, “And explain right _fucking_ now…” Hiashi said, leaning forward eyes like lasers.

He rarely cursed and he saw two branch members shrink under his scrutiny.

Hiashi worked his jaw side to side. No one spoke.

“H-Hiashi sama, t-there was a message sent-wh-which is why we closed” the man was stammering. Hiashi knew him as a branch representative of the north house. The two other branch members beside him stared at the man as if he’d just said he’d committed a murder.

With how much money Hiashi lost tonight he might commit a murder.

Hiashi bid him to come closer with a finger.

The man approached slowly, stopping three feet from the front of the desk. He was sweating; the man appeared a few years older than Hiashi, from the lines on his tan face maybe a decade. His hair was a dusty brown. Hiashi could see the perspiration on his throat, it darkening the white of his collar.

Everyone knew closing production so early in the night was bad, for all involved. There would be hell to pay

_Neji is lucky he isn’t here right now…_ Hiashi thought darkly.

He hadn’t sent any information as he was trained to do. Hiashi was unsure what he’d do to the boy if he were in front of him right now.

He regarded the man from under his lashes, taking another sip before flicking the remaining of its contents all over the man’s face and shirt. It stained red.

He brought the glass back to his lips, resting it there. It was quiet.

“Tell me something I don’t know” Hiashi cooed at the man. Cocking his head when the man’s tongue appeared to be glued to the roof of his mouth. He smiled mirthlessly. “Do you know how much money I lost just tonight?” Hiashi started, voice deepening to a sultry tone. “Millions, more than you and that pretty daughter of yours. Pretty girl, how old is she nineteen?” the man’s eyes widened. “She has a young face, still considered a virgin I bet,” Hiashi let the man draw his own conclusions. Hiashi leaned back, “Now unless you want her to pay for your ignorance tonight I suggest you tell me what went wrong, and why my evening was interrupted” Hiashi finished, smiling at the man. It was an ugly smile, no joy in any corner of his lips.

“There was report that the bouncer at club Red Clouds was attempting to aid the DEA in a raid against another drug faction,” a man from the main house, Yuki answered voice unwavering.

“Oh” Hiashi remarked setting the glass on the dark wood of his desk. He leaned back in his leather seat a little, arms crossing irritably.

Yuki had his full attention.

_Neji wasn’t the target…_

That was one concern partially checked off.

_Two concerns…_

He hadn’t been the one caught.

“And” Hiashi questioned brow quirking up.

“As you know he called it in. the bouncer had been a suspected rat for weeks now, Hyuga finances are not currently in jeopardy. A scout saw your nep-“ Yuki stopped, clearing his throat. “ _Neji_ ” the man corrected himself, and Hiashi could taste the bitterness in his voice. His tongue darted out, swiping across his lips as if he could taste it.

He cocked his head at the bitter taste.

“-was seen speaking to an agent, ”Yuki paused letting those implications settle like sandpaper across everyone’s nerves. It was no secret neji hated how the clan operated, how he’d been branded viewed as less of a person, him speaking to any government officials was a bigger issue. “Afterwards he contacted us twenty seven minutes later via an unknown number.

_Twenty seven minutes…_ Hiashi could barely withhold a snarl at that.

_He’s lost his mind…When he gets home…_

A minute was all it took for this whole organization to be put in jeopardy, why he hadn’t been informed of a possible situation gone south was noted for later.

“B-b-ut I had already informed Yuki-sama of the b-bouncer a minute after Neji finished his deal, most activity had alr-ready been halted under his command as a precaution,” the man stammered out. Yuki shot him a dirty look.

Hiashi frowned, he should have been informed of that detail, not by Neji’s text. Yuki would need to explain himself.

“ _Why_ was he speaking to an agent?” Hiashi asked instead.

The unspoken rule of no talking to the feds was well known and taboo.

“Unknown sir,” Yuki responded. The branch woman, rose her head at that, looking down when Yuki shot her a side look

“Speak”, Hiashi said, tone unreadable he didn’t look at her, instead watching Yuki’s face.

“The agent was identified as the DEA’s son” she said and immediately looked like she regretted it, when Hiashi’s eyes snapped to her, without him even turning his neck. “H-H-Hhe had attended the same highschool a-a-as Neji sam- Neji _san, I think_ they w-were just catching up. Mmy sister was in the area and saw them. He-he never signaled anything, He e-even tipped Neji off kind of” she was blubbering, fear pushing into her throat; she looked like she’d have a heart-attack.

“Leave” Hiashi flicked his finger at the door. The other Branch member and two main house members all turned to exit except leaving Yuki, the woman and man.

The man hadn’t moved a muscle from where he stood soaked with wine. The woman had already paled further, and Yuki stared at him with not an iota of emotion.

Hiashi flicked his gaze back to Yuki, the man looked as fearless as ever despite his undermining of Hiashi just being blown wide open. Hiashi knew he could easily change that, with a finger he beckoned the woman to come around his desk, she kneeled on both knees.

“Why was I not informed” Hiashi asked casually.

Yuki didn’t answer him, swallowing tightly.

He turned to the woman, rising slowly from his seat. She was pretty with her black wavy hair and lunar eyes, but she was pale, and paling even faster Hiashi noted in a little distaste.

She looked a shade from being a ghost.

He cupped her jaw with his thumb and forefinger, she was breathing harshly.

“Your sister…saw him speaking to the DEA…he knows better than that” Hiashi started lowly, ”Are you telling me the truth?” it was not a question.

“Yes” she breathed out, voice shaky .

“Are you telling me the truth” Hiashi shoved her harshly with the fingers of his left hand to her temple, when sh moved from the force of it he tightened the fingers of his right.

“Yes! I wouldn’t lie to you Hiashi-sam,” she said again voice a little more firm, everyone knew what happened to people who lied to Hiashi.

He pushed her again and her expression wavered.

“What did they talk about”

“I don’t know”

He shoved her harshly again, his fingers like talons around her jaw.

“I don’t know!” her expression crumpled. Hiashi shoved her bodily to the ground, rising.

“You know” he uttered darkly.”Your sister told you he was speaking to the boy, what about, I do not tolerate lies or betrayal.“

“I don’t know!” He kicked her hard in the ribs, and all of her breath rushed out.

“You better tell me some information. What did that boy want, why was any contact made. She could stand there and watch, she must’ve heard something,” Hiashi murmured harshly.

“She didn’t sir.” Hiashi sighed turning his attention to the man.

Hiashi popped his fingers, he didn’t remove his ring.

“I hope you’ve already come up with a plan to earn all of the money I’ve lost just tonight” Hiashi uttered, side eyeing the man. “Your precious daughter won’t earn nearly enough on her own.”

Edging his foot around the woman’s side he nudged her a little.

“Move. You’re in the way, go find your sister, report to me what was said…and the DEA-s movements thus far…” he paused staring down his nose at the woman on the floor. “or…I’ll bring her in here.”

The woman nodded, quickly scurrying out the room.

“Hoheto.”

“Sir?” the man said entering the room. Hiashi motioned him over with a tilt of his chin. He snatched the man’s gun from his holster. Screwing the silencer over the end of the weapon, Hoheto moved and locked the door without a word.

Hiashi pressed the gun between the eyes of the branch man.

“I want to hear good news about tonight’s production, and I want to hear how youre going to double production to earn me my money back,” Hiashi said, cocking the gun. “If I’m not smiling by the end of hearing the numbers, I’m going to be really mad you woke my daughters.” Hiashi said lips in a half smile.

“I’d hate to wake them, today was Hanabi’s big day. I might just have to go get your daughter.”

The man closed his eyes miserably, beginning to sweat again. Hiashi smiled at the reaction, he looked at Yuki.

“You have three minutes to explain why I wasn’t informed about the bouncer situation sooner, and why the hell you think you run things now,” Hiashi said casually, “I’ve given you enough time to think I believe. I better understand your reasoning by the end, I’d hate to ruin my outfit. Hinata picked it just for me.” Hiashi said, eyes gleaming ominously from the light to his left.

Humming Hiashi, pressed the gun harder against the man’s forehead, reaching forward to pat his shoulder when he shuddered,

“Let’s get started.”

* * *

 

 

The girl had been an absolute waste of his time.

Itachi sighed, readying himself for bed.

His father would not be pleased, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

_Like Sasuke…Shisui_

His little brother was on the slow path to self destruction, and Itachi despite his best efforts couldn’t reach him.

_Why…?_

He had no idea what Sasuke was doing, he’d done his best to respect his privacy, but with his behavior as of late he’d extinguished Itachi’s patience.

Shisui had always been better at reaching sasuke than Itachi. Itachi tried to use more manipulative means, Shisui was different, he’d always been different, but they’d worked well together.

Itachi always joked that Shisui had been his other half.

Shisui could do it but the man had vanished. It happened sometimes, but his disappearance was unuasl this time. No-one not even Itachi knew his whereabouts. It was unnerving, and out of character.

_Something happened… something is always happening…_

So many crime factions were on the move Itachi found himself struggling to keep up sometimes. He kept tabs on everyone as per his father’s orders, but with so much movement, it was hard to see the underneath superficial layers with all the shifting.

His father expected him to do it all.

_I cant…_

Not to mention

_Sasuke…_

Itachi’s brows furrowed. He had been behaving so erratic lately with the police force and his underlings. Itachi knew that he’d been sucked into the drug game via their father and for a time Itachi had too, until he’d told the man he wanted no part in it anymore.

Rather he’d shown the man he’d wanted no part in the life anymore.

Itachi’s stomach tightened at the memory.

Fugaku had been a little more than disappointed but he’d allowed his son to leave the game as best he could. Instead he’d piled the pressure on a different way. Sasuke had never mentioned wanting to leave, he’d been thrilled when their father had proposed the idea.

_But now…._

He appeared as though he were sinking, being bleached by something dangerous.

_Someone dangerous…_

Itachi thought a moment, pausing to finger the pendant around his neck before the name came to him.

Orochimaru.

The man was a lunatic, but he was one of many. The man lusted for power, and control, but his schemes on the black market lay in organ harvesting. Organ harvesting and drugs didn’t mix, so he didn’t understand what was going on. But there had to be something there, and Itachi felt his stomach twisting.

He’d trailed Sasuke near the man’s suspected hideout twice now, there had to be something, maybe a bust?

The Uchiha operated more mafia style than the Hyuga, granted not only were fewer people buying the powerful hallucinogens, but many in the clan were losing interest. While the drug business was pretty ruthless, Fugaku liked to refrain from unnecessary bloodshed when he could.

After tales of Madara’s mafia, style business Fugaku sought to remind all members something like that wouldn’t happen again. Other’s wanted the power the man had acquired through any and all means.

Now that Orochimaru was active again, the two had to be on a collision course and Sasuke could possibly be in the middle. Itachi’s brows furrowed.

_I’ll think about it in the morning._

He looked at his laptop on his bed, it was open on the girl, Hinata’s social media profiles.

He had been hoping to find some of her interests in order to make it easier for her to be tricked into being interested him. But the girl was so enthralled by the blond boy mentioned in all of her private messages, Itachi knew it would be a waste of his time to try and pursue her.

He wasn’t interested in women all that much anyway.

_Somebody else…_

Hacking into her profiles had been too easy honestly. He was surprised Hiashi hadn’t implemented some security. Wasn’t she his heir?

Frowning he scrolled through some more of her pictures before a boy caught his eye.

_Who’s that…?_

He was handsome. It looked like an honest off guard photo of the boy. He studied the picture, he could see Hinata in the doorway looking shocked, so someone had swiped her phone. Itachi recalled reading a post about her little sister.

He studied the details of the boys face, strong jaw, large eyes, full lips and from the over the shoulder look he was giving…an attitude.

Itachi crawled into bed, staring at the boy.

_Maybe…_

Wooing the boy could work, it would help him get information on the Hyuga’s activities as of late, so his father would be highly pleased.

Itachi stared a moment more, studying the boy’s face a moment longer.

A car door shut harshly outside his townhouse.

Itachi closed his eyes miserably.

Itachi shut his laptop.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

Hiashi picked at the blood crusted under his nails, and sighed.

  
He’d retired to his bedroom, exhausted after an hour of collecting blood and answers.

  
_Millions…gone…_

  
Hiashi felt a sneer tug at his lips. All because of two fools, he would need a new carpet in his study now.

  
Even after the branch woman returned he still knew nothing of the conversation Neji had with the Nara brat. Neji had a mouth on him, but he was smart. He would never think of betraying the clan like that.

  
If he did he’d never be found.

  
Just like his father.

  
After dealing with Yuki he’d sent a team out to locate the bouncer. He’d been the one to cause the false alarm that had cost him millions after all. Hiashi wondered if the man had not been dealt with already. Red Clouds was technically Akatsuki territory (in name only lately), but with them currently quiet, the club was “safe” territory to move product in and out of, regardless of the producer.

  
The drug game was never safe, but it was safer than Six Paths. The nightclub, a faction that had broken from Akatsuki only a few years prior, was reported a high risk zone. With disappearances and cops prowling about the area, Hiashi only sent the most experienced and in disguise.  
He never sent Neji on runs there.  
He needed to know what Neji and the Nara boy had spoken about. The Nara had been interested in busting them, but his brother had intervened and taken the eye of scrutiny off the clan.

  
“You went easy on him…you shouldn’t have.” Hiashi closed his eyes, mentally doing a countdown before turning to face his father.

  
Hiashi thought back to the branch man’s terrified face, lids hooding a little.

  
“I did not feel like training someone new to take his position,” Hiashi responded. It was true, Yuko was the best at his job, better than Hiruka even.

  
_Hiruka…_

  
The thought of the man always brought a sour taste to his mouth. The man had gotten a swollen ego, thinking he knew more than Hiashi. The man thought he could hide money and crime from the top man. Hiashi had called a meeting, and purposely walked in late. The man had been running his mouth already, silencing himself when Hiashi darkened the doorway. He’d seated himself at the head, and after Iroha had locked the door, Hiashi had shot the man point blank between the eyes in the middle of the meeting

  
“Hm..” Was all his father grunted out in response. Hiashi was soft in comparison to his father. But his father’s mistake had been straining the relationship with the branch, for the greater benefit yes, but fear sometimes gave way to an anger strong enough to want to fight.

  
And Hiashi couldn’t have that. His brother had had that.

  
He’d tried to snuff it out quietly with his fists, but it hadn’t worked. When he’d found his brother’s plans, he’d seen red.

  
He’d had to beat his brother senseless one too many times to have to deal with several members attempting to defy him.

  
Hizashi’s temper was worse than Hiashi’s, but he’d reigned him in.

  
He still had the bat he’d broken Hizashi’s leg with in his closet, wondering sometimes if he should bring it out for Neji every-time the boy forgot his place.

  
Glancing at the clock, the hour was late, he considered sending someone to retrieve Neji, but he opted against it, deciding a night’s sleep would be needed first.

  
Taiyo walked over, picking up the gun on Hiashi’s bed, feeling the weight of it before glancing up with sharp eyes.

  
Hiashi glanced at the pistol he’d yet returned to Hoheto, then he clocked the look his father was sending him.

  
“He gave me a number that put me in a better mood,” was all Hiashi offered him.

  
“Neji needs to be punished also. He did not correctly ascertain the threat level, nor did he contact you speedily enough,” Taiyo spat, and Hiashi could practically feel his anger.

  
He wanted to reignite Hiashi, but Hiashi was honestly too tired. The last hour had tired him out. He’d had to take a break before continuing delivering out both of the men’s punishments.

  
“Not tonight…” whether he was speaking to his father or directing his words towards the topic of Neji, Hiashi himself was unsure.

  
A long pregnant pause, and Hiashi heard his father turn smoothly toward the door.  
“Very well,” Taiyo took his leave.

  
Hiashi walked to his private bath, reaching for his hairbrush, a gift from Hizashi when they were six. They’d gotten each other the same brush in two different malls. He fondly recalled when they’d presented the items to each other on their birthday at the same time. They brushed each other’s hair that night, and after their mother and father had gone to bed, Hiashi had snuck out of the main house and climbed into bed with his twin.

  
They’d fought a lot later that day, but Hizashi had been the one to climb into his bed later in the evening. With his twin in his arms Hiashi had felt safe, secure, and loved. They were whole, and the center of each other’s worlds. Those feelings always returned to him when he used it.  
Later when they’d grown apart, he’d felt those feelings, sitting beside his unconscious twin every time he’d had to send him to the hospital.

  
Then Neji had been born, he knew he’d felt complete jealousy, but he hadn’t when he’d seen the baby’s face.

_  
“Can I hold him Zashi?” Hiashi had asked, excited by the smile his brother wore as he stared at the bundle he was cradling. He’d been planning to drop the infant as soon as his brother handed him over._

_  
Hiashi felt a seething jealousy. It’d been years since his brother looked at him with such raw affection that he was showing that thing. The only time his brother seemed to even see him was when he cocked his head and looked at him as if he were something that only warranted scorn and not love._

_  
Hizashi had peeled his eyes away from the infant for only a moment to look at his brother. Attention back on the newborn when he made a sound against his chest, trying to suckle on the shirt Hizashi had done for the rushed trip to the hospital._

_  
“Y-yeah.” Handing the baby over, he’d instructed his brother how to hold him._

_  
Staring down at the bundle, he couldn’t stomach ending such a thing. Neji’s small red face scrunched up when Hiashi’s hair had sweet across it and Hiashi immediately fell in love with the little boy. Pressing a kiss to the baby’s hair, he noted the light brown and his brows scrunched._

_  
“The doctors say the color should change,” Hizashi supplied, laughing a little awkwardly, already reaching to take his son back. Hiashi feigned like he didn’t see the movement, turning his back and pacing in a little circle with the baby, stroking his little cheek trying to coax the baby to make a sound, as his brother had shadowed every step he took._

_  
He had finally gotten the child to open his eyes and look at him with those unfocused whites, and Hiashi knew he wanted a baby like the one in his arms right now_.

  
_He was Hizashi’s but he was also his. Just like Hizashi would always be his._

 _  
_ The memory faded in Hiashi’s mind’s eye. He turned and headed for his bed. 

* * *

  
“Sasuke.” Fugaku called, when he’d heard the front door slide shut quietly.

  
He was in the kitchen, checking the reports Shikaku had sent him earlier.

  
There had been a bust at the nightclub Sasuke had been over.

  
Sasuke stopped in the doorway, not moving toward or away from his position. Fugaku made a mental note of the action, a pain pulling sharply across his chest.  
Sasuke didn’t say anything, just stared at his father.

  
Fugaku felt it hit a nerve he didn’t know he had. Irritation bred across his mood along with trepidation.

  
“Report.” Was all Fugaku said, feeling it easier to slip into the skin of a superior at this moment.

 He didn’t understand what was going on with him. Unlike Itachi, Sasuke had always been an open book. Despite his bravado, he was more sensitive than even Itachi. The fact that he didn’t know what was going on with the younger boy concerned him.

  
He’d brought up to him one afternoon and Sasuke had turned his head to the side and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

  
“Why?” Sasuke asked.

  
“Why? You’re my son, I want to know whats going on with you,” Fugaku had responded, puzzled by the confusion on Sasuke’s face. He knew he’d been cold to the boy as a child but it had never been intentional. He thought Sasuke understood and knewthat despite his father never saying it.

  
“I don’t understand,” was all Sasuke had responded with.

  
He didn’t.

  
“I’d been tailing a Hyuga there for a two weeks due of suspicious activity, but he hadn’t visited the establishment the week before, so I decided to try a sting the other day to bring him in for questioning, but Nara Shikamaru dismissed the idea,” Sasuke started.

  
Fugaku’s stomach clenched a little at the mention of the name Hyuga.

  
“It’s unusual for a Hyuga to visit this part of town, so I thought maybe he was seeking something. I had him followed a little but it turned out he was probably just seeking something to do after his bed time,” Sasuke snorted.

  
Fugaku nodded, folding his fingers together to lean on them.

  
Sasuke continued.

  
“With the aid of the bouncer we apprehended one woman, she’s in DEA custody, and they noted it was thanks to me that it happened,” Sasuke tossed out.

  
Fugaku nodded but he said nothing.

  
Sasuke’s gaze darkened a little, “She has a disgusting mouth but we should be able to find the other culprits soon-“

  
“Is she connected to Orochimaru?” Fugaku asked suddenly.

  
Sasuke tensed a little, and Fugaku noted the reaction. His lips turned down.

  
“Are you tailing him or is there something you should be telling me,” Fugaku sneered, an overprotective paternal instinct over riding his true interest.

  
Sasuke read it as an accusation.

  
“You think I’m aligning myself with that snake?” Sasuke roared, s sneer twisting his lips. “I know what the hell I’m doing, I don’t need you or Itachi to babysit me,” Sasuke growled, rage distorting his features.

  
He reminded him of a certain Hyuga in that moment.

  
“I don’t know what you’re doing but you stay away from him that’s an order,” Fugaku rose, staring his son down.

  
Sasuke’s lip twitched at that, “don’t act like you fucking care about me now dammit!” he screamed, voice catching a little in his throat.

  
That knocked Fugaku’s head back.

  
_…what?_

  
That hurt, and Fugaku felt anger rushing over the hurt emotion.

  
“How dare you,” he started lowly, rounding the table.

  
The room temperature dropped a few degrees.

  
Sasuke stepped back a little, that hurt anger dropping off his face replaced with trepidation and a little…fear..but not quite.

  
Fugaku couldn’t decipher the look his youngest child was giving him .

  
That upset Fugaku even more. He snatched Sasuke’s collar pulling him up so suddenly the boy gasped eyes going wide, but he was unsure what to do next.

  
He’d never take a page from the Hyuga handbook of parenting, but he didn’t know what to do.

Had he been younger he probably would have, but he knew first hand striking ones child never got the results one wanted.

  
Hiashi in passing begged to differ.

  
“Don’t you ever say something like that ever again,” Fugaku seethed a fire in his eyes. Sasuke nodded shakily, bravado gone.

  
He set the boy back to his feet, hesitating before patting the crown of his head. Shock gone anger replaced the Sasuke’s mood. Sasuke shook off the touch angrily, glaring at his father before he turned to stalk out the front door.

  
Fugaku let him leave.

* * *

 

He was back.

  
Tiny hands finally reaching for the knob on the door.

  
_“Don’t you dare…”_

  
Water splashed his face and he looked down at his small hands, tiny toes submerged in sand, and then water as the tides came in.

  
His father scooped him up and laughter bubbled from his chest.

  
“Neji-chan.”

  
  _ ~~It’s the only way I hear your voice anymore…~~_

  
He felt himself being lowered down gently and he scooped his legs up, refusing to have his father let go of him just yet.

  
At four he was too big to be carried, sometimes when he had a melt down his father would scoop him up and carry him somewhere more private. Speaking gently, he’d try to get Neji to vocalize to him his frustrations. He’d babble some nonsense out sometimes, and Hizashi would hum, stroke his hair, and tell him it was ok to be frustrated, but melting down didn’t help. Neji would nod and ask if his father was mad at him. Hizashi would always laugh and tell him no.

  
Even so small Neji knew he was telling the truth.

  
His father never lied to him.

  
At least for times like these, his smile would be too warm.

  
That day his father had taken him to the beach for the first time, and the boy had been overwhelmed.  After swimming, Hizashi had sat down with him and taught his son how to build sandcastles.

  
The sea had washed them away.

  
Neji had been close to tears, all his hard work washed away, but looking at his father laughing, they dried up instantly.

  
They spent the whole day together and he’d been so content after eating that he’d just laid out with his father at the park he took him to. Hizashi had kissed the crown of his head and stroked his hair.

  
When he’d thought Neji was asleep he’d trace his finger on the mark on the back of Neji’s neck, and against his father’s chest, Neji had felt his father’s breath hitch.

  
He always pretended it didn’t bother him, so his father wouldn’t get so sad.

  
They’d gotten a picture together at the end of the day.

  
Hizashi had promised to take him there every year.

  
He had lied to him.

  
Neji still could never find the picture.

*******  
Neji slowly cracked his eyes open, grief washing over him like the tides had that day.

  
He’d been dreaming a lot about his father lately.

  
_Why…?_

  
It’d been years now, but sometimes the wound felt so raw he swore his father had just been ripped away him. Other times he could think and not feel so sad.

  
_So…empty…_

  
At six he’d watched in envy at Hiashi simply being around his girls, holding Hanabi, with Hinata chattering some nonsense and Hiashi pretending to listen.

  
His father had never pretended to listen to him.

  
He’d always crouch down to his eye level, listening to him babble like Neji was talking about the most interesting thing in the world. Although when he came home late from work in one of his moods, sometimes he would shush him and just hold him when Neji didn’t want to be held.  
In some of his worst moods, it would seem like Neji wasn’t even there. His father just sitting, not doing anything. Sometimes Neji caused those moods, he knew it. His father would be fine until he’d see him and immediately fall into one of his “sad spells.” At four he knew he’d been a burden to his father, and had worked hard to prove to him he wasn’t. That he was worth sticking around, that he was worth it.

  
He wondered even now if he’d ever changed the man’s mind.

  
After his death, Neji guessed he’d failed.

  
Throat feeling tight, Neji sat up, gently removing Tenten from his chest. She was such a wild sleeper. Lee had mention once when she’d been laying on his chest that somehow he’d woken up with her foot in his mouth. She denied it of course. As did he when the two claimed he would sleep wildly sometimes. He grabbed her phone, unlocking it easily.

  
The code was Lee’s birthday, the same as his phone. Lee had never figured out the codes for either of their phones.

  
_Fool…_

  
But he couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips. Slipping his chip in he scrolled around, reading messages, turning off read receipts (too messy, it caused a fight between him and Hiashi one too many times).

  
_No messages…_

  
He needed to get back to the compound. He frowned, swiping his tongue across his teeth. He rose, popping his back.

  
“I’m surprised you didn’t stretch out your fingers after you clocked me last night,” Tenten grumbled sleepy from the bed.

  
“Hmm be surprised I didn’t kick you instead,” Neji responded setting her phone down.  
He heard her mumble jerk under her breath as she rolled over. After freshening up he left her apartment without a word. He was still tired and he knew he’d need something to wake him up. Stifling a yawn, he hurried in the direction of the compound. It would be a long walk but there were plenty of coffee shops along the way.

  
An hour later, after detouring away from the shortcut near Red Clouds, he was close enough to the compound where he could grab a cup of coffee before walking the extra thirty there.  
He was sure Hiashi had already sent someone to retrieve his car last night after sending out the message.  
Ducking in to grab a cup, he walked out of the shop. Moving along the sidewalk he brushed past a figure and felt a tugging on his pinky.

  
He turned around and so did the other man. He was handsome.

  
_Extremely so…_

  
He knew Hiashi was expecting him back but, he also really didn’t care what Hiashi expected. Looking the man in the eye he swore he was being sucked into those impossibly dark eyes. They were enthralling, the exact opposite of his. Dark and rich, where his were bleached to whiteness.  
The stranger had stopped a few feet from him and he desperately wanted to say something. Speechlessness was not something that happened to him a lot and he was shocked at himself.

  
Say something!

  
Parting his lips-

  
“NEJI!”

  
_Fuck…No_

  
Turning he caught a green blur before he was lifted off of the ground, arms trapped to his sides by Lee’s bear hug. His coffee went  screaming to the pavement below.

  
“Lee!” he shouted squirming out of the grip, “Stop being annoying!”

  
Lee didn’t look upset by the outburst at all, instead questioning him of where he was last night, and did he have time to spar today.

  
Neji sighed, irritation bleeding into his mood when he realized the stranger was probably gone.  
Was this even considered a cock block?

  
“Excuse me,” a deep voice said. Neji turned and the handsome stranger passed him his coffee that he swore had fallen to its demise when he’d dropped it.

  
“Ah, Thank you.” Neji said, closer he observed his features better. He was even more handsome up-close, but something was familiar about him. Neji squinted before Lee clapped him on the back.

  
“Lee stop,” he said turning back to face the man but he was gone, scurrying down the sidewalk.

  
‘Wait!” Neji called.

  
“Who was that ?”Lee asked him.

  
_Lost opportunity._

  
He turned a sour look on Lee, and the boy at least had the decency to look sheepish and a bit apologetic.

  
Neji turned walking away and sipping his coffee while Lee hurried behind him, chattering about how they needed to spend the day hanging out and sparring, because he was his eternal rival. Neji declined, saying he’d already spent enough time with him at lunch the other day, but Lee was not deterred by the rejection, instead naming times and places to eat.

  
Mentally Neji was clearing his schedule, he liked hanging out with Lee even when the boy annoyed him to the point where he wanted to chock him.

  
He realized Lee was following him to the compound and he felt anxiety race up his spine again.

Hiashi did not like Lee, at all. And Neji could finally recall the reason why. Three years ago Lee had defended him from one of Hiashi’s tirades against him. They had still been in school and Neji had been late to arrive to the office. He’d tried to reason but Hiashi had already decided to take his bad day out on Neji. When he’d rose his hand to slap him for “talking back” he’d been prepared to take the split lip, but Lee had grabbed Hiashi’s wrist. Iroha, frightened had pulled out his gun. Neji had been terrified, and Lee had continued to defend him. Neji had come between the two while Iroha had hesitated. He knew Hiashi would not hesitate to end him for disrespecting his authority. He himself hadn’t hesitated to come between the two, terrified for what could happen to Lee.

  
Lee had mistaken his rising panic as fear for himself and not for Lee’s preservation.

  
He’d temporarily diffused the situation, briefly swallowing his anger and his pride to apologize to Hiashi for Lee’s behavior. Hiashi had still not been pleased.

  
After when he’d made Lee go home, and asked Tokuma to make sure he got there, he’d argued the whole night with Hiashi.

  
He’d had bruises to show for it later.

  
The next morning when he’d headed to school, after Hiashi had pecked Hanabi on the cheek, and petted Hinata’s head as she scrambled to find her things, he’d grabbed Neji’s arm when he went for the keys to his car. Confused, Neji had looked up at the man. He’d handed him a single envelope, inside had been a single photograph of Lee, asleep, with a gun pointed to his head.

  
Neji’s eyes had widened, lips parting, and Hiashi had simply cupped his jaw gently and stroked his cheek telling him to choose his friends wisely. He had a mouth on him already, and hanging out with people like Lee would get him hurt one day.

  
“I want to keep you and your “friend” safe, but disrespect will not be tolerated. This is your warning so pass it on.”

  
Swiping his tongue across his teeth he shot a wary glance at Lee. The boy was oblivious to it, instead taking in the woody area that surrounded the compound.

  
When they’d finally made it inside, Neji quickly shoved his coffee into Lee’s hand to the boy’s confusion and quickly told him to go to his room upstairs. Lee had looked like he wanted to protest but he nodded, turning to go upstairs slowly.

  
Neji knew exactly what was expected of him, reporting immediately to Hiashi, and opted to instead ignore the tense atmosphere that encompassed the compound since he walked through the gates.

  
Hoheto had greeted him at the gate on his way out with Hinata in the backseat. Chauffeuring was Neji’s job for the girl. Hoheto’s lips were in a grim line as he shot a look at him as he’d exited.

  
Neji entered the kitchen, it was still early and he knew Hiashi knew he was back.

  
Neji made two cups of coffee, pausing on the second to pour salt instead of sugar in the beverage. Neji smirked.

  
_Childish…_

  
But there was no telling how Neji’s morning was about to be. From the mood in the hollow hallways Neji knew he’d fucked up, fucked up real bad. But the fault was not entirely his.  
Frowning he stood at the marble counter, preferring instead to be confronted in a more public space than private. Sometimes Hiashi took it easier on him in public spaces in order to preserve face in the eyes of the rest of the clan.

  
_Sometimes…_

  
But Hiashi was not soft in any stretch of the imagination. He was cold, preserving the status quo of servitude by the rest of his family. He continued that system as his father had done before him.  
It was the modern age, and even without a collar around his throat Neji knew he was a servant to the head family. The atrocious tattoo on the nape of his neck spelled it out if he ever thought otherwise.

  
_A barcode and numbers…_

  
As if he were a replaceable product at a supermarket.

  
“You are. Accept it,” Taiyo had said to him on the rare occasions he was privy to his and Hiashi’s arguments. It always ended worse for him when Taiyo was around. The sick bastard always enjoyed his pain.  
Standing there he heard the quiet shuffle of Hiashi’s feet as he made his way to the kitchen.

Neji’s eye twitched, his tongue swiping across his teeth, taking a slow sip.

  
Hiashi entered the kitchen, silk robe flowing behind him like a cape. Neji immediately thought of the supposed noble blood of their family and smiled a little at some of the irony.

  
In old accounts of the clan’s rise he’d read about mysterious eye powers and a curse mark. It sounded completely absurd, that kind of magic and torture but Neji believed his clan fully capable of defying biology.

  
Hell branch members were tortured when they disobeyed or were even thought to step out of line.

  
Hiashi didn’t acknowledge him, he never did when he entered a room unless he wanted something, or Neji ran his mouth.

  
_Bastard…_

  
Hiashi paused by the fridge, and Neji  stood to his full height watching him as Hiashi moved behind him to the coffee maker and Neji felt a little anxiety run up his spine.

  
“Explain,” was all Hiashi said as he reached for the coffee pot, pausing as Neji turned with the two cups in hand. Neji took a sip of his and handed Hiashi the other mug.

  
Hiashi regarded the coffee reaching for it.

  
He bypassed it completely and instead took the mug from Neji’s lips.

  
Neji barely stopped himself from sneering. He’d seen Hiashi do it to his father countless times. He set the other on the counter behind him.

  
Hiashi would take and snatch anything out of his hands, and Neji could remember after a while his father had never protested the lesser treatment.

  
Neji did at every point.

  
He’d never allowed Hiashi to have even that tiny show of power and dominance over him.  
He’d once thrown his coffee to the ground when Hiashi had reached for it. Hiashi had slapped him silly for the small act of resistance.

  
Even the subtlest of things were acts of dominance in the Hyuga clan. Neji would not stand for it at any point. The expectation that he was a servant to all of those who weren’t branded like cattle as he was when he was only four.

  
Neji held his silence, ignoring the other’s order for a long pregnant pause.

  
He started to open his mouth when Hiashi took a sip before Hiashi’s other hand shot out to grip his jaw tightly with his left.

  
“I gave you an order, now explain,” Hiashi said eyes dark, before pushing Neji with enough power that he lost his balance a little. Neji’s lips tightened.

  
“You already know what happened,” Neji stated flatly, brows drawn down. He was not about to waste his breath. He wouldn’t be surprised if Hiashi honestly had the club’s video record.

  
“I want to hear your side of the story,” Hiashi said calmly, lip quirked as he leaned against the opposite counter.

  
There was no amusement in the quirk of his lips.

  
Neji folded his arms across his chest and recounted the events of the night, pausing when he reached the part where Shikamaru approached him.

  
Neji’s stomach tightened a little when he realized what Hiashi was really interested in.  
He’d spoken to the feds and Hiashi had to suspect him of possibly squealing.

  
_As if I could…_

  
His brains would be splattered for the world to see if he dreamed of such a thing to destroy the clan.

  
“I wasn’t feeling well so I took my leave, but the bouncer began acting suspicious as I approached the exit,” Neji lied, noticing the slow smile beginning to crack onto Hiashi’s face.

  
“I felt a little suspicious as to his behave-“

  
“Dig the hole a little deeper Neji,” Hiashi spoke in a honeyed voice as he set the coffee in the sink to his left.

  
Neji snapped his mouth shut, irritation bleeding into his face.

  
_I didn’t even do anything…_

  
“I called in a cease operations soon after that,” Neji finished, eyes darkening to match the look directed at him.

  
“Hmm,” Hiashi hummed, stepping until he was in Neji’s space, caging him to the counter. Neji noticed he’d taken a step back to accommodate the invasion of space and his nails bit into his palms. “And the boy,” Hiashi said, voicing inflecting a little at the end. Neji knew he wasn’t asking a question.

  
He opted to play dumb.

  
“I don’t know who you are talking about,” Neji said monotonously. Hiashi smiled at him.

  
He stroked Neji’s cheek a moment before following his jaw to his bangs.

  
Neji hated when the man did that, it was always the precursor to his violence against him.  
Hiashi gnarled his fingers into his hair a moment later.

  
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Hiashi hissed, tightening his grip and pulling Neji up a little to settle their gazes more evenly. “What did he want, and what did he say-god help you if-“

  
“I didn’t say anything about your fucking drugs!” Neji yelled, reaching a hand up to clutch Hiashi’s wrist.

  
Hiashi backhanded him but didn’t let go.

  
Neji felt his neck spasm a little.

  
“Liar! There were agents crawling around this place. You almost compromised everything,” Hiashi tightened his grip. “Now, what did you say. Did you tell him anything.”

  
“You really think I’d put my livelihood at risk just to screw you over!” Neji growled, hiding a wince when the man pulled on his hair, he could feel some of it coming out.

  
“He wanted to catch up since you made me take a gap year. Happy?! He even gave me a fucking heads up. He suspects us already. If your lackies would do their fucking job then mayb-” Neji didn’t even get to finish his sentence, as another vicious backhand sent him stumbling against the counter.

  
Neji felt blood drip from his nose, and he glared at Hiashi.

  
“I didn’t say anything to betray you, in fact I thought he would arrest me so I was trying to figure out how best to take him out. Since he knew I was there I got rid of my phone just in case it was tapped,” Neji said glaring.

  
“Don’t act like it wasn’t for your own self preservation,” Hiashi spat, approaching he set his hand on the crown of Neji’s head till his knees buckled and he was kneeling on his knees in front of the man.

  
Glaring up at the man, Neji bared his teeth, wincing when Hiashi tangled his fingers in his hair.

  
“The clan comes first. Always,” Hiashi said, staring down the line of his nose at the teen.

  
“You aren’t telling me everything.”

  
“I am.”

  
“Get on your knees,” Hiashi said barely struggling when the boy tried to rise. He tightened his grip even more.

  
“No, I’m telling you what happened. That was all,” Neji said growling.

  
“You’re not, but I’ll make you,” Hiashi said darkly reaching down and gripping Neji’s jaw with his free hand. 

* * *

  
He studied his wife’s features as she lay next to him. Time and time again Shikaku had done this.  
She was beautiful, and they were perfect for each other.

  
But sometimes when he’d wake up groggily, eyes still adjusting to the light.  
Her hair would be the wrong color. Her smell would be wrong, and those lips thinner than the ones he’d fallen in love with first.

  
His eyes would close and he’d banish him from his mind’s eye.

  
He was always too hard to hold, cold, and he saw his face everywhere. He could hear his voice anytime he turned on the television and it hurt.

  
He’d been awake when he heard Shikamaru’s quiet shuffling steps. He was light on his feet, but Shikaku could read the house, he knew which boards squeaked even faintly, the ones Shikamaru always stepped on despite him thinking he  knew the house as well as his father.  
He was a smart boy, very observant be he had a long way to go. But he was still advanced for his age and limited time in the force.

  
He’d manipulated the Uchiha boy flawlessly after all.

  
Shikaku was still impressed by that feat.

  
The boy, Sasuke, probably thought he’d been the one to give them the information to apprehend the suspects at the club but he hadn’t. Shikamaru had mentioned the Hyuga possibly being the perfect cover for a drug cover, along with the Uchiha to Shikaku one night they played shogi.

  
Shikaku had immediately felt uncomfortable, but he’d asked him to elaborate.

  
He had, and Shikaku had been a little surprised.

  
Wondering how he got the information of Sasuke’s drug activities when they were still in high-school. He’d pulled together an idea of a network, with the Hyuga and Uchiha working together.  
Shikaku had told him to drop it because he’d already investigated the clans.

  
Shikamaru hadn’t looked convinced.

  
He was close but, he didn’t have all of the background information on both clans. They worked but they did not work together. Not in the ways the boy was suggesting.

  
After he’d beaten Shikamaru the fifth time that night, he’d gave the boy a pearl of wisdom to roll around with, and Shikamaru had retired to his room under the disguise of being tired.

  
Shikaku knew he had been disappointed in his father’s reaction. Shikaku had been proud his son could string all of that together, but he was playing with fire. He wouldn’t allow him to get burned.

  
Unbidden Shikaku’s fingers traced the scar on his face.

  
That path had too much blood on it and it just wasn’t worth it.

  
Shikaku knew that first hand.

  
He rose quietly, Yoshino stirring beside him a little. Despite his stealth the woman was so in-tune to his every movement. Shikaku swore sometimes she was either an assassin or a ninja. The way she could wield anything as a weapon, even her voice left Shikaku in awe every time.  
Shikamaru had said he was whipped. Shikaku had been a little peeved but he also couldn’t deny it. She had him wrapped around her finger and he enjoyed every minute of it. It was easy to remember when she was hard on them both, but it was also so much easier to remember her softness. His son had called him a sap, too embarrassed to admit it.

  
Shikaku ambled over to his laptop turning it on before quietly going to his son’s room.  
Shikamaru had passed out facedown on his bed.

  
Shikaku stared at his son, watching him breathe, before scanning him and then searching for the file he needed.

  
Locating he excited the room quietly, pausing to flip Shikamaru’s ceiling fan on.  
With the file in hand he returned to the bedroom and quickly typed out the information Fugaku would need.

  
“Cant that wait..” a sleepy voice called to him.

  
Shikaku smiled a little.

  
“It could but I’d rather get it out of the way while I have the motivation,” Shikaku replied amusement in his voice.

  
Yoshino hummed, she went quiet and Shikaku could hear her shuffling to sitting against the headboard.

  
Turning to look, he eyed her bare breasts and she clocked his eye, smiling a little.  
“Like what you see?” she started huskily.

  
Shikaku smirked.

  
“Not like I haven’t seen them before.”

  
He laughed when the pillow she threw almost clocked him  in the head.  
Finishing the report he returned to bed noticing the looks she was sending him, and laid on his stomach.

  
She swatted his ass as he lay down and he grunted in response to the treatment.

  
“Shikamaru is in his room,” was all he said when he felt her hands questing under him.  
She blushed a little retreating her hand back and instead moving to lay on his back. He sighed, enjoying the weight of her on his back.

  
“Mm,” was all she supplied. It was late, Sasuke should be back by now since Shikamaru was.  
Shikaku closed his eyes.

  
He opened them a few hours later to the noisy buzz of his phone. It was early but sun was up now. Yoshino was gone.

  
_Kitchen…_

  
He’d have to get up if he wanted food.

  
She didn’t cook for the hell of it after all, and if he or Shikamaru weren’t up they wouldn’t eat unless she took pity or they made it themselves.

  
Noticing the name on the phone Shikaku felt irritation bleed into the good mood he’d woken up in.

  
He didn’t contemplate answering.

  
He just let it ring.

* * *

 

Taiyo watched Hiashi exit the kitchen without a backward glance.

  
Watching his son he felt irritation. The man was far too lenient on the insubordinate child currently still in the kitchen.

  
“Natsu.”

  
“Yes, Taiyo-sama?” the woman appeared from the top of the stairwell. She’d probably given up trying to wake Hanabi.

  
He didn’t say anything, turning to walk into the kitchen. She followed after him without a word.  
He spotted the boy brooding by the window and eyed the long mane of hair cascading down his back where it covered his bottom when he stood. Taiyo knew the hair was a tribute to his father more than anything, and every time the boy got out of line he didn’t understand why Hiashi didn’t just sheer the thick locks off.

  
It would put him in his place.

  
He’d done it to Hizashi when the boy had run his mouth as a teen.

  
He could still feel the locks flowing free from his hand for days after he’d sheer his hair off at the base of his skull with a kitchen knife.

  
“Boy,” Taiyo said stopping on the opposite side of the counter.

  
He knew the little bastard had heard him approach.

  
His insolence knew no bounds.

  
He saw the boy’s shoulder jerk a little and a soft sniff. He partially turned, giving Taiyo only his profile on the left.

  
Taiyo eyed him. Hiashi must have slapped him.

  
“Face me boy,” Taiyo commanded, crossing his arms.

  
Neji didn’t move, eyeing the old man, and Taiyo felt his hand twitch. Natsu clocked his hand and looked at Neji.

  
Taiyo didn’t have to look at her to know she sent him a pleading look to obey. He turned his head a little, not taking his eyes off the disobedient child in front of him.

  
Neji focused a potent glare at her before redirecting a look of contempt at Taiyo.  
She stopped, stepping back a little away from both of those gazes.

  
“You dare disobey me?” Taiyo started, Neji’s eye twitched and he turned to face him with irritation, but Taiyo knew he wasn’t belatedly complying to his order.

  
Taiyo noted the red marring his right cheek with smug satisfaction.

  
“What do you want from me,” Neji bit out crossing his arms.

  
Taiyo noted his tone.

  
“Watch how you speak to me boy, I am not as forgiving as Hiashi,” Taiyo uttered darkly.

  
He saw the boy work his jaw, probably running his tongue over is teeth. He watched him twitch before a disdainful smirk crossed his lips. He dropped his arms to the side, tilting his head at an angle that forced Taiyo to raise his gaze a little to look him in the eye.

  
It was a move so Hizashi that Taiyo could practically feel the man’s spirit inhabiting the boy in front of him.

  
“Yes, Taiyo-sama,” he spat, voice falsely sweet.

  
Taiyo rounded the counter at that, and stood to the side of the boy waiting for him to turn and face him. Neji turned slowly to regard him, reluctance in every slow pull of his muscles, looking at the fingers of his right hand curling tightly. Taiyo knew he wanted to strike him.  
Taiyo had had enough of the flagrant disrespect.

  
 Neji turned to glare at the older man and Taiyo slapped him across the face so harshly and so suddenly a squeak sounded from Neji’s throat as he spun with the hit and landed on his right hip.  
Taiyo hadn’t held back, striking the boy’s left cheek viciously, he just barely missed dislocating his jaw.

  
Natsu let out a startled gasp somewhere behind him.

  
Neji glared at him through watery eyes, a sneer twisting his lips.  
“Please insult me more, I know I’ve balanced that disrespectful head of yours, but your mouth still needs work.” Taiyo said arrogantly over him. “Now, why did it take you over twenty minutes to report a false alarm. Do you have any idea how much was lost in just that one night?” Taiyo said, kneeling down to Neji’s level to glare at him more evenly. “Hiashi should have cut a finger off for that waste of time.” Taiyo said watching Neji’s hand curl into a fist.

  
“I don’t know which upsets me more, his leniency on this matter or your continued disrespect, after he let you off easy.” Taiyo spat at him.

  
Had this been when he still lorded the clan, Neji would have one less finger and no tongue. The fact that he even took so long to report was unacceptable. Had this been a real emergency the clan could have been busted or suffered huge set backs. It was his job as a branch member to not only report suspicious activity but to get all the facts to avoid things like this from happening.  
He’d failed on all accounts, and all Hiashi had done was slap him. He knew his son was favorable of backhanding the boy but only once had he used his full strength. Also striking him like that was never premeditated, backhanding was more of a surprise reaction, and often didn’t exhibit much strength, at least on Hiashi’s part when dealing with this hell spawn.

  
Taiyo always knew how he wanted the conversation to end, and what disciplinary actions he wanted to take. If Hiashi wouldn’t discipline the boy he would have to. He’d been blatantly disrespecting and disobeying orders. Not going on runs, his mouth, and even his actions right now, he’d yet to apologize or truly explain his motives. To Taiyo it looked as though he were slowly getting his ducks in order to split from the clan and sell them out.

  
With his fist clenched like that Taiyo couldn’t help but think he would attempt it, he was his father’s son.

  
_Hit me I dare you…_

  
He’d be buried alive, and Hiashi would never know what happened to him.

  
“Lucky for me you’ve been ousted for a while huh.” Neji growled, moving to sit up. 

  
“If you want to know, why don’t you ask Hiashi yourself, Taiyo?” He spat the sama at the end as if it was a disgusting afterthought.

  
He rose and made to grab at his hair but Neji saw it and moved smoothly to dodge the hand, rising to his feet, making it appear as if he were simply standing.

  
_Brat…_

  
“He wanted to know what I spoke about to the Nara. And also why it took me so long, in which I reported that I felt they may have tapped my phone so I disposed of it,” he stopped there jaw working from side to side like he wanted to say more …but he didn’t.

  
_Good boy…_

  
“And?” Taiyo said crossing his arms, he’d pay for his insolence later.

  
“The agent tipped me off on the possibility of possibly being trailed. Later I saw an unmarked car following me, so I made the decision to just stay away from any drop off locations that night and make it appear as though I were merely sneaking out.” He finished and he looked even more defiant as if he’d wanted to rave about the very idea of having to cover for the clan.

  
“Hmm…” he turned to Natsu whom still had her head bowed and then reached across for the coffee, Neji didn’t try to push it over for the shorter man’s reach.

  
He poured it out on Neji’s feet, and frowned when he didn’t get a reaction or any hints of reddened skin.

  
“Clean this up, I have a task for you later tonight,” Taiyo said, smiling when Neji’s breathing sped up.

  
_That’s right…give me more reasons to discipline you later..._

  
He’d bring up taking the boy under his care again to Hiashi later, if he poked him right he may agree.

  
He left the kitchen then recalling the time Hiashi had allowed him to take him under his wing, he’d been seconds away from cutting the boys tongue out when Hiashi had called, asking to speak to him.

  
His son had been adamant about it.

  
Turning back the boy still managed to glare fire at him despite his tongue being held out.

  
He had a feeling Natsu had called Hiashi for some nonsense and talked him into intervening at that exact moment.

  
She’d paid for that later.

  
He knew she’d never defy him like that again.

  
Leaving, Taiyo paused. Calling over his shoulder.

  
“I sent that annoying boy of yours home. He does not have permission to be on this premises any longer.” Taiyo recalled the boy pacing in Neji’s room, he’d been excited before he’d dropped when Taiyo entered instead. He’d demanded to know where and what was happening to Neji, and was vehemently unsatisfied with Taiyo’s answer that it was none of his concern. He’d been escorted bodily out of the compound.

  
“Do not leave the compound until I have given you your task. Hiashi has allowed you too much liberty, and look at you now,” Taiyo spat. Many branch member were not truly permitted to leave the compound for lengthy periods of time, it would be too easy for them to snitch or run there mouths about the inner workings of the clan. Everything they needed was provided here. Members were only allowed to leave for short periods of time, school, shopping, and maybe a few other things but never for long.

  
It was the reason Neji had been barred from attending university.

  
He along with other branch members were trained to be efficient bodyguards and to have undying loyalty to the clan.

  
It seemed as though Neji had forgotten that last part by even giving the DEA operative a minute out of his day. Taiyo would fix that.

  
Neji didn’t say anything, he didn’t expect him too.   
  

* * *

  
Itachi sighed, reading over the reports his father had given him. Folding a hand against his cheek he closed his eyes feeling another migraine start to build.

  
His father expected too much out of, and worked him to death unknowingly.

  
Itachi set them down with a frustrated sigh.

  
He glanced around the coffee shop the boy, Neji had ordered from.

  
It’d been a couple hours and Itachi felt at his wits end.

  
_Stressed…_

  
Too stressed. His hands felt clammy and after a minute he gathered his things and barely stopped himself from running out of the coffee shop.

  
_Distraction…_

  
He needed one now. The stress from his father in addition to his brother and Shisui were taking their toll on him.

  
His father didn’t understand.

  
_He never did…_

  
Fugaku wanted him to bring the clan back from its slow defeat and strengthen it the way it used to be. He also wanted him to take over the police force and become a spy into Danzo’s and the Hyuga’s activities.

  
He’d said this to Itachi and Itachi knew he truly felt that Itachi could do it.

  
_Why…does everyone have so much faith in me…?_

  
Itachi wasn’t superhuman, but with the way people spoke to him and about him he swore he was just a tool to them.

  
A doll to dress up and use any way his father, his clan and everyone else could use to do their bidding.

  
_Everyone’s tool to use._

  
Even after that event his father still didn’t understand the stress he was under.

  
_No one does…_

  
Feeling encaged he looked around for an exit.

  
Itachi slowed his brisk walk, setting his sights on the mostly empty park across the streets.

  
_Sanctuary…_  
Everyone thought him a genius a prodigy, Itachi didn’t feel it. He felt used more than anything, and mainly by his own father.

  
Fugaku wanted what was best for the clan, and if Itachi could help him achieve that he’d use him any way he could.

  
Sitting down, Itachi’s brows furrowed. He sighed, reaching into his pocket pulling out his white phone. He read the message from his father before closing it rubbing his hands together.  
Itachi knew in his own way he’d orchestrated his own hell right now.

  
_Trying to play both sides…_

  
It would never work, he knew this but he still tried.  
Leaning against the bench he’d commandeered he closed his eyes, recalling the files he’d extracted from his father’s computer.

  
Fugaku was looking into Shisui’s disappearance, but he hadn’t told Itachi a thing.

 _  
Does he know…?_  
Itachi’s eyes snapped open and anxiety caused a chill to run up his spine.  
_No…if he did…_

  
Itachi wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Itachi narrowed his eyes, scanning his surroundings, he spotted a figure lazily walking toward him and he frowned a little deeper.

  
“Keep frowning like that and people will mistake you for your brother,” the voice said and Itachi scanned his mental banks for a name.

  
_Ah…suspicious_

  
Itachi said nothing, turning to look at the boy stopped just to the side of him.

  
“Nara-san, what do I owe this honor?” Itachi said dropping his arms to let them dangle between his knees.

  
“Troublesome,” Shikamaru said. “Honor?” Shikamaru snorted,” You and your brother are too similar in this regard.” The boy said rubbing his hand behind his neck.

  
Itachi clocked the move with narrowed eyes.

  
“What is it you want, Shikamaru.”

  
The boys ears perked at the use of his first name and his eyes narrowed a little, he turned pretending to stretch, rotating in a lazy circle.

  
Itachi wasn’t fooled, he immediately noted the quietness of the park.

  
Shikamaru sat next to him, and Itachi regarded his profile, taking in the narrowed eyes focused straight ahead.

  
“ah theres nothing I want, I just happened to be passing by and saw you. Decided to come catch up with the Uchiha prodigy,” Shikamaru said nonchalantly, feigning a yawn.

  
Itachi’s brow furrowed  a little but he quickly smoothed it out.

  
“Ah how kind of you, I’ve been busy lately. It’s nice to take a break everyone in a while.”  
He waited for the boy to read in-between the lines, and hid a smile when he quickly took it.

  
“Oh yeah I’ve been busy too, ran into Sasuke last night,” Shikamaru said. “Got a report from him of suspicious activity…the police force showed up with my men…and a few other….investigators…”Shikamaru finished vaguely.

  
Silence.

  
_Others…could he mean…?_

  
“Hm. Sasuke tells me it was a successful night”

  
Lies he hadn’t spoken to Sasuke at all.

  
“Yeah, thanks to his brain we managed to apprehend a suspect. Has he told you anything” Shikamaru said leaning back a little.

  
Itachi’s eye twitched.

  
“Other than a lot of moving pieces no.”

  
“Hmm.”

  
Itachi looked up when he saw a figure across the park move, a woman jogging.  
“Her breathings is all wrong,” he heard Shikamaru whisper out, despite his mouth not really moving at all.

  
“I know,” Itachi responded just as lowly.

  
“I heard the target disappeared,” Itachi threw out.

  
Shikamaru eyed him. “Yeah, her and someone else too.”

  
Itachi shot him a look as the woman neared.

  
She was attractive with her purple hair gathered in a tight bun, but something was off. He studied her as she passed, the band around her arm not quite covering the snake tattoo.  
With that little piece of information Shikamaru’s place here didn’t seem all that much of a coincidence.

  
“You said lots of moving pieces, care to elaborate?” Itachi said nonchalantly,” I haven’t seen the whole report yet id appreciate a heads up.”

  
Shikamaru looked at him a moment then back at the woman discreetly.

  
“Yeah sure of course I’m sure you’ll hear one word and probably just defer back to the real document. Troublesome.” Shikamaru sighed sitting up, closing his eyes momentarily. Itachi felt the air shift as the boy sat up and he studied the dark lashes pressed against high cheekbones and the sharpness of his eyes. He sniffed audibly before speaking.

  
“DEA got there first. And then of course the police,” Shikamaru paused there, setting his fingers together before continuing. “No one else arrived for a while and I was a little shocked at that.”  
He paused again and Itachi noted the quirk again.

  
“Zeta squad from the FBI came, which was helpful.”  
Itachi blinked.

  
“Zeta squad, that’s unusual,” Itachi said confusion evident on his face.

  
“Of course it’s not,” Shikamaru said, and Itachi noted the weird flow and placement of the sentence before he felt his stomach tighten.

  
Shikamaru cleared his throat, “Whenever something happens they’re always there, behind us, watching to make sure all evidence is accounted for,” Shikamaru said, and Itachi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

  
“Well I should head back, It’s my day off after all,” Shikamaru said rising pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, he lit it and instead turned behind were Itachi was still seated and blew the smoke out.

  
“Later.”

  
Itachi watched him leave, forcing himself not to follow. After five minutes the purple haired woman exited the park through the gate Shikamaru left out of.

  
Itachi rose feeling unwell.

  
_Bastard…._

  
His eyes narrowed, he exited the park, pretending not to notice the figure shadowing him.

 

* * *

 

Tokuma sighed as he neared Neji’s room.

  
The boy had been holed up in there a while, and Tokuma knew he was up to no good.  
Setting his hand on the knob he turned it and felt its resistance.

  
_Locked…_

  
Shutting his eyes, he turned the knob slowly to the left and pulled it out slightly before turning it to the right and entering the room.

  
Cracking it he noted the quieted small puff of air he received upon opening it with a tick at his eyebrows.

  
He stepped in quickly, slamming the door.

  
Neji twitched, turning around sharply. One leg dangling out of the window.  
“God dammit,” the boy said, climbing back into the room. “How the hell do you pick my lock so quickly,” the boy muttered.

  
Tokuma blinked.

  
“I’m just that good, you should do better,” Tokuma said flatly. He knew Neji could taste the sarcasm.

  
“Petty Tokuma,” Neji said, not falling for the bait. He never did unless he wanted to argue.

  
They regarded each other silently, and Tokuma wondered why Hiashi never bothered to tell the boy his door knob unlocked when turned a certain way. He’d seen Hiashi do it one night shortly after Hizashi’s death and memorized the movements of his arms.  
Later he’d tested it out.

  
“If you’re going to just stare at me take a picture,” Neji said, crossing his arms.

  
Tokuma tilted his head at that, glazed eyes focusing on the outfit the other boy wore and irritation caused him to snort at the tightness of the attire.

  
“Off to continue your “slut games” I see,” Tokuma spat, recalling the words Ko had used when they’d picked Neji up from a club one night, the other boy stoned out of his mind.

  
Neji bristled a little at that.

  
“If I recall correctly, you were the one enthralled by the thrill of those games when we snuck out,” Neji said irritably. He frowned walking over to stand chest to chest with the older man.  
“In fact this is the outfit you wanted me to wear when you fucked me,” Neji bit out huskily in his ear. “If I’m a slut, then what are you, you kinky fucker.”

  
Tokuma’s head went back a bit at the language and he closed his eyes, recalling that heated night. He’d had the other boy only pull those tight leather pants down just enough for him to enter him.

  
They’d fucked in Taiyo’s private study when the man had left for a formal dinner with Hiashi.  
Tokuma sighed.

  
_Not taking this bait…_

  
“I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

  
“Funny, that seems exactly what you wanted to do,” Neji spat, leaning away from him crossing his arms. He looked away, not deigning him with eye contact.

  
Tokuma studied his profile and narrowed his eye when he spotted the concealer messily applied.  
He smudged it down along Neji’s jaw line, the boy hissed a little but didn’t pull away.  
“Here,” he said after he finished, handing over the phone Hiashi had requested him give to the boy.

  
_Told…_

  
Requested just sounded better in his head.

  
Neji looked down at it, feeling the sleekness.  
Taiyo had already sent him a message.

  
He saw the boy ignore it.

  
“Neji…” how Tokuma wished he still had that fire.  
It’d been snuffed out of him long before he was Neji’s age.

  
“I understand.”

  
Tokuma nodded. He turned to leave before stopping at the door.

  
“I’m not mad at you for leaving, I know why you did it. But…” He closed his eyes, ”It still hurts that I cant have you,” at that Tokuma walked out closing the door.

  
Neji stared after him at a loss for words.

  
His stomach tightened, and he hugged his elbows, fighting that phantom hurt.

  
He knew he should have been honest but at the time he felt he’d done what was best so the man would move on.

  
He hadn’t.

  
Neji turned tucking the phone in his pocket and crossed over to his window. He climbed out dangling by his hands and set his foot on the slope of the adjacent roof. Counting he pushed off till he fell against it, and breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t fall and break his leg.

  
Finding a way off the roof proved to be a challenge since Hiashi had a lot of his ways done removed, but he wasn’t called a genius for nothing.

  
He’d hijacked the contacts Hiashi made some branch members wear when they went undercover and entered the club.

  
_Red Clouds…._

  
Despite hating to go one runs here it was a fun night club. The perfect spot for his “slut games” as Ko so affectionately called them.

  
_Prick…_

  
The man had just been a total jerk that night. He’d honestly only taken his advice to do it outside the compound, but Ko seemed never to truly put any bite into his words.

  
He got a few looks but they were mainly from thirsty men.

  
The sky blue irises were just as striking as his white eyes, but after he’d surveyed and made sure there was nothing suspicious he took them off.

  
He spotted a man staring at him hungrily and decided to start ordering drinks on the man’s tab.  
The man in question didn’t seem to mind as he informed him when he’d finally strolled over.

  
_You’re not getting this tonight…_

  
Neji thought.

  
After pretending like he cared he’d made his way to the restroom.Pulling out a baggie, he felt a little trepidation.

  
He’d never snorted the product before.

  
It was funny only a few Hyugas were allowed to sample the product to make sure it was good.

  
He was not one of them.

  
 Taking a deep breath he snorted a line, and then two. He didn’t feel anything and frowned, taking one more line before cutting his losses and shoving the baggie back into his pocket.

  
_It’s not even that great…_

  
Sighing he left the restroom intent on another shot.  
A few more shots and he was feeling good.

  
Then the coke hit him like a freight train ten minutes later.

  
If his eyes could dilate he knew they’d be huge. He felt so energetic, almost manic. He could feel his heart racing and he knew mixing the two were a horrible mistake.  
He’d managed to stumble from the dance floor to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror he knew he’d fucked up.

  
_Gone…_  
It was mainly the last thing he remembered. Flashes sometimes he was on the dance floor grinding against someone. Some guy in front of him, the bar guy, was probably screaming.  
Neji pushed him away turning to look into dark eyes.

  
Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew who it was. The stranger from the street.  
Neji licked his lips, and saw those eyes follow his tongue. Then those lips were moving and Neji wanted to taste them.

  
His phone was vibrating and reluctantly he checked it, Seeing Taiyo’s name he slide ignore.  
He saw the man look and before he could understand what the man was saying he kissed him.  
Neji loosened a moan, and the action was a little embarrassing to himself. He tangled his tongue with the man pulling him down. He felt so bold right now. He slipped the man’s hands down from his hips to his ass and grinded against him slowly.

  
_I know what I want right now…_

  
He felt the hands pat him, and disengaging he laughed a little at the inexperience.  
_Not expecting that…_

  
Dazedly he managed to ask the man his name and filed it away.

  
“Im Neji-“ Neji stopped abruptly, turning and running from the man. Shoving through the backdoor he vomited. Just barely managing to move his hair. Another heave and his knees buckled.

  
_Im dying…_

  
He was sure of it, he felt awful. Spots dancing in his head, still heaving, he felt his heart rate increase more at the thought till it thudded painful in his chest.

  
“Neji!” a voice called to him.

  
Rising he’d barely caught a glimpse of the man running toward him when the world went black.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

His father had committed suicide, there was no way he didn’t.

  
He’d been “murdered”, ambushed, but his father hadn’t drawn his weapon.

  
Bullshit. His father had been the best. Even Taiyo had said it.

  
An ambush, even a drive by where he didn’t drawn his weapon was just idiocy, unless he’d wanted to die.

  
Hiashi told him he’d died in something similar to a drive by after a deal gone bad; no witnesses, a single gunshot to the head.

  
The clan knew the deal could go south so they’d sent the best: Hizashi.

  
Hinata’s mother had oddly enough been there too.

  
Hiashi had implied an affair coupled with the wrong place at the wrong time.

  
Neji was sure he didn’t believe that. His father had been too good of an agent to die in something as ridiculous as that. His father always carried his gun loaded, safety off when Neji wasn’t around. It had been at the scene, but not a bullet was missing. In addition, he couldn’t recall his father ever being interested in Hinata’s mother either. A woman from the clan had agreed. Plus, his father had never shown any interest except in that one lady in the compound, but Neji for the life of him couldn’t remember her name.

  
Suicide made sense though. He felt his father didn’t really want him around much, especially sometimes after he’d been marked.

  
That bitch had been right. His father would eventually leave him behind.

  
Thinking of those times and his loneliness, he’d started sobbing -to his embarrassment- in front of Hiashi. He’d only been twelve at the time when he’d finally felt strong enough to ask for the real truth, not the fodder that he’d just been shot. He needed the details.  
To confirm his suspicions that his father couldn’t fake wanting him any longer.  
And he was right, which hurt him so deeply he didn’t know what to do.

  
Hiashi had seemed shocked at the sudden outpouring of tears. Lost for words, he had pulled Neji to his chest awkwardly.

  
Neji wanted to push him away, but his arms were too weak.

  
He’d overheard his father before he left tell his twin he’d loved him, and setting sad eyes on Neji, he’d patted his head, pressed a kiss to his forehead, and left. Hiashi had come over to babysit which wasn’t really out of the ordinary.

  
Neji found it strange that the man could hurt both of them, and then give Neji kisses to the cheek when he thought no-one was paying attention.

  
He wondered if pain, hurt, was just another showing of love in the clan.

  
As a child, he had woken up in the hospital, fainted when the news of his father reached him.  
That his father was never coming back, that just like that woman said he’d finally been left behind - alone.

  
And despite the knife of pain ripping his small heart in two he hadn’t cried.

  
Those feelings came rushing back after Hiashi told him the details. He felt weak and unwanted now in the arms of his uncle, caging him in.

  
The embrace was wrong despite everything, he wanted his father’s embrace.

  
Even if it wasn’t real…he’d felt wanted…  
*************************************************  
He’d managed to grab him before he hit the ground. The feeling of his dead weight momentarily making him feel lightheaded.

  
“Come on,” Tokuma sighed. Heaving the boy up into his arms, pausing to make sure his arms were looped around his neck even though his left slid down to dangle awkwardly.  
Feeling the hot puff of his breath against his collarbone reassured him. Neji had probably gotten all of it out of his system but he’d have Natsu look at him.

  
_Whatever is in his system…_

  
He’d been downing tequila, and everything under the sun since he’d entered the club.

  
“Oi, put him down!” a man called, and Tokuma turned to regard the door.

  
A man was there and he recognized him as the guy Neji had buying him drinks.  
He frowned, looking at the man with obvious boredom.

  
“That little bitch owes me some ass, I’ve been buying him drinks all night,” the man said.  
Tokuma sighed.

  
“You clearly see, he’s out of it,” Tokuma said, irritation apparent in his voice and choosing to ignore the word choice of the man.

  
_Reason…_

  
“So?” the man retorted. Tokuma looked at him in disgust.

  
“Don’t give me that look. That’s when whores are at their best.”

  
_What…_?

  
“What are you saying?” Tokuma bit out.

  
“I like ‘em like that quiet, I can do whatever I want,” the man said, and Tokuma read the look in the man’s eye. “Now set him down and leave. This won’t take long,” the man said, closing the door behind him.

  
Tokuma digested the man’s words a moment, looking down at the boy’s lax face before setting him against the wall gently.

  
“Good boy,” the man said advancing.  
*************************************************  
“I want to take him under my wing Hiashi.”

  
Hiashi looked up at the man and sighed.

  
“No..father. He is fine underneath me,” Hiashi said, propping his cheek against his hand.

  
“You let him get away with things. Why? “ Taiyo challenged.

  
“I treat him as any other branch member,” Hiashi responded irritation building in his brows.

  
“You go easy on him. You shouldn’t.” Taiyo spat, crossing his arms.

  
Hiashi read the man’s body language and thought of a million ways to approach him, but decided against all of them.

  
“What did he say to you?” Hiashi asked instead.

  
“His words mean nothing to me. It’s not what he said it’s how he acted,” Taiyo replied, his disdain evident in his tone.

  
_I’m not stupid father…_

  
There was a reason he kept what Neji had said under wraps, but judging from the look his father had an idea probably.

  
“He’s playing you,” Taiyo said.

  
“You want to punish him. I have, there is no more say on the matter,” Hiashi said, reaching his right arm out. Iroha moved to grab him a glass of wine.

  
“Father there are other more import- this isn’t the right temperature,” Hiashi cut himself off when he’d grasped the glass Iroha handed him. The man immediately took it back. Hiashi sat up a little, rolling his left shoulder.

  
He saw Taiyo watch him and he tapped his finger against his thigh a moment before he proceeded.

  
“I have to leave for three days on business as you are aware, however,” He took a sip of the glass offered to him, ”I have decided that you should run things considering how Yuki has been a little…”Hiashi smirked, not finishing.

  
“Very well,” his father said not needing any more information.

  
“Do not harm him permanently, he’s the best at what he does,” Hiashi said, and he knew his father knew he was speaking of Neji.

  
Taiyo snorted.

  
“Hiashi, you know that if I wanted to I could have by now.”

  
Hiashi sat up a little straighter at that.

  
“You won’t,” Hiashi spat, “I do not allow it.”

  
“Hm,” Taiyo hummed, eyes sliding to the frame of Neji and Hizashi on Hiashi’s desk.  
Hiashi could read in between those lines, and he let out a harsh sigh, Iroha bristled a little behind him.

  
“I can and I will and there’s nothing that can be done I have the right…”

  
Hiashi leaned forward incrementally eyes steady on his father.

  
“Try it…”

**********************

_He entered the room to the sounds of Neji babbling to his father._

 

_Closing the door quietly, Hiashi advanced to the living room of the house, where he could hear the gurgling of the infant._

 

_Spotting dark hair tossed over the arm of the couch, Hiashi spotted his brother passed out with the baby on his chest. Neji was about three months old now and already he could pick his head and look around._

 

_Hiashi was impressed._

 

_He watched the two for a moment, Neji safely cuddled to his father’s chest and neck, currently trying to make a snack out of Hizashi’s loose hair as he grabbed at it, pulling it to his mouth._

 

_Perhaps the baby just had good timing because he turned his head just as Hiashi approached and gurgled excitedly at him._

 

_Hiashi smiled, staring at the child and then his brother’s sleeping face. His arms were curled around the child, smushing him to his chest to make sure he wouldn’t fall off. With Hiashi here the baby seemed to protest the restraint._

 

_Reaching for the baby he noticed the drool over the front of his brother’s shirt and the glistening strands of his hair and frowned. He should start tying his back like Hizashi had done. Although he knew Neji wouldn’t appreciate it, he still kept it loose when he handled the infant._

 

_He remembered when Hizashi, frustrated, pulled his hair back and out of Neji’s reach. Neji had thrown a fit. He was usually a well-behaved, quiet baby but he’d let everyone know he had a good set of lungs that day._

 

_“Did you tire your Tou-san out Neji-chan?” Hiashi lifted the child, noticing the furrow drive between his brother’s brows as the baby was pulled from his arms. Supporting the baby with one arm, he smoothed the fingers of his other hand between his brother’s brows, easing the tension there._

 

_Hiashi looked down at the baby, starting to repeat his question when the boy jerked his hair harshly. Wincing, Hiashi noticed the strength of the pull._

 

_“You’re going to make your favorite uncle bald if you keep doing that, so stop it.” Hiashi scolded lightheartedly._

 

_Neji seemed to consider it before pulling harder and then laughing at the look on his uncle’s face._

 

_‘Already disobeying…’_

 

_This was indeed Hizashi’s son ._

_‘My son…’_

 

_Hizashi belonged to him just like this baby did, and for a moment ever since the baby’s birth he thought of taking the child away from his brother._

 

_His brother would want him around all the time, they’d be inseparable again. He’d have Neji and thus he’d have Hizashi, but already he knew it wouldn’t work._

 

_Somehow the child could already tell the twins apart, even when they’d tried to trick him._

_The baby had refused to come to him when Hiashi “pretended” to be his father. Hizashi had laughed thinking nothing of it. Inside, Hiashi had been furious at the rejection._

 

_The baby squealed in his arms, tossing himself back as the memory faded from Hiashi’s mind’s eye, and he adjusted his grip. Neji smelled clean; fresh, and Hiashi knew Hizashi must have given the baby boy a bath before passing out on the couch._

 

_Neji was always at his loudest after a bath._

 

_“Ssh you’ll wake your fa-…Hizashi,” Hiashi said, levelling his gaze with the baby._

 

_Neji didn’t care as he squealed again before launching himself into Hiashi’s face._

 

_Surprised, Hiashi started to jerk his head back when the baby latched onto the tip of his nose trying to suckle. Then he started laughing when the boy got frustrated._

_Neji disengaged moving to try to suckle Hiashi’s cheek instead, whining when he still wasn’t rewarded with something to eat._

 

_“Don’t let my baby catch the ugly,” a tired voice murmured._

 

_Hiashi’s eye twitched._

 

_“We’re identical Hizashi, if I’m ugly what does that make you,” Hiashi challenged ignoring the baby starting to fuss._

 

_“Shows what you know,” Hizashi said, stretching on the couch before he turned to his side to look at Neji._

 

_“I’m the hot twin,” Hizashi finished tracing the profile of his sons face._

 

_He hadn’t caught Hiashi’s eye yet and Hiashi felt a spark of jealousy run through him._

 

_Hiashi felt his grip on Neji slip just a little._

 

_Hizashi twitched as if he felt Hiashi loosen his grip on the infant._

 

_He sat up quickly extending his arms._

 

_“Give me my baby.” Hizashi said, eyes darkening and voice going stern._

_Hiashi barely hid his hiss. He turned, angling Neji away from his brother, turning his body away._

 

_“No,” Hiashi hissed._

 

_“Give him to me!” Hizashi shouted, rising sharply._

 

_Hiashi took a step back tightening his grip on the baby, a sneer twisting his features._

_Neji started wailing in his arms. Hiashi ignored him, while Hizashi seemed to be responding to the baby’s increase in volume._

 

_“Give me my son Hiashi!” Hizashi shouted advancing, but Hiashi stood  his ground. They could hear pounding on the door, concerned voices filtering through the wood._

 

_“He’s not yours he’s mine! Nothing is yours!” Hiashi screamed. Hizashi stepped forward before freezing when Hiashi pulled out his pocket knife, setting it to the screaming infant’s throat._

 

_“H-Hiashi…” Hizashi whispered out, voice hoarse, eyes rounding in terror._

 

_Neji was all he had, Hiashi wouldn’t…_

 

_But he would Hizashi realized, a cold dread weighing heavy in his belly._

 

_“He’s my son you can’t have him!” Hiashi growled ._

 

_“He’s not yours Hiashi. Not everything and everybody is yours,” Hizashi hissed, eyes scanning the room for anything to unarm his brother._

 

_Hiashi’s look darkened._

 

_“No one can have him but me…”_

_********************************_

Itachi brushed his fingers over his lips, the sound of the music still blasting but it felt like background noise.

He could still taste Neji’s mouth on his and he wanted more.

_More…_

He hadn’t anticipated this. After the conversation with Shikamaru he’d found so much more about Shisui’s disappearance and it made him feel absolutely ill.

Danzo.

Knowing left him sick and in a bid he’d gone to the last place Shisui had been.

Red Clouds.

The fact that Danzo probably took him was disturbing. There was a chance he’d never be found if that was the case.

_But why…?_

Shisui, despite Fugaku’s warnings and animosity, worked for the man.

_There’s no reason…_

Shikamaru hadn’t given much but a name was already too much. He’d been clever though, the boy following him hadn’t suspected Itachi knew a thing and after a while he stopped following him.

He’d come here to find more clues and ended up spotting Neji.

He hadn’t looked right, swaying a little too much to the music, eyes a little too wide. A man was behind him trying to make his way over and Itachi wasn’t sure what possessed him to approach.

He’d wanted to question him, but with each step he just wanted to get closer, until he could feel his body heat against him.

Neji had latched onto him immediately, to the other man’s chagrin. Neji pushed him away instead looping his arms around Itachi’s neck.

He’d tried to speak and the boy had attached their lip instead.

_Stolen…._

His first kiss, and he could still feel the fire of it tingling against his lips.

Neji had tried to devour his tongue and Itachi wanted him to, he’d caught on quickly after the shock, and mimicked the other’s movements, and was rewarded with a moan.

He’d blushed but Itachi wanted more, he felt it in his core, and he felt where Neji placed his hands.

Inexperience once again showed and the other boy had laughed a little, to his embarrassment.

Itachi had then been intent on changing that, but the boy had run off.

He didn’t know why but he’d looked for him after he’d been gone.

_Five minutes…_

At the back of the club he spotted a door, exiting the scent of blood hit his nose and he immediately scanned the dark alley.

Fierce pales eyes pierced through him and for a moment he thought it was Neji on first glance but the hair wasn’t right, nor the gaze.

Neji was out against the wall, and the other man a Hyuuga, was standing over the bloodied body of the man who’d pursued the boy all night.

_He’s not stopping…he’ll kill him…_

Itachi realized when the man continued the beating.

“Stop!” Itachi’s voice rang out clearly.

“Shut up, leave,” the Hyuuga man said lifting the man bodily by the collar.

“You’ll kill him” Itachi said, approaching, closer he could see the rage in the man’s eyes and the..

_Hurt…?_

He was sure they were strangers.

“Good, scum like him need to disappear,” the man growled.

“Would he want that” Itachi gestured to the unconscious boy behind him.

“Yes.”

_Bad move…_

“This guy is trash.”

Itachi tried a different approach.

“I think he’s more important unless you’d rather finish up here,” Itachi tossed out, crossing his arms.

The man paused at that. He looked up at him.

“If he were my man he’d take top priority but I guess you Hyuugas do it differently,” Itachi spat.

“You Uchiha can’t even keep up with your own, and you dare lecture me about my clan?” Itachi barely stopped his head from going back.

The Hyuuga dropped the man in a bloody heap, turning with disgust and gathered Neji up in his arms.

“I have no business with you Uchiha, I’d suggest you mind yours,” the man said turning and making a smooth exit.

Itachi felt his eye twitch, but at least he’d gotten him to stop. He reentered the club, and told the nearest bartender a man was passed out in the back.

He exited before they could question him.

He thought of Neji again and felt his heart rate accelerate.

The kiss made him want more. He wanted to taste more

_Feel more…_

Itachi blushed a little at the warmth he felt low in his stomach. It was new something he never felt before.

It was unexpected.

It was a distraction from what he truly needed to focus on.

He shook his head.

_Focus…_

Shisui had been investigating Danzo?

Itachi pondered starting his car and driving to his townhouse.

_I need more information…_

He needed it desperately, if Shisui had even a chance of being found alive.

Itachi’s stomach tightened at all the possibilities.

None of them good.

**********************************

He set the boy against the seat with a sigh as he fastened the belt.

Jogging over to the other side, he hopped in and sped off. At the light he studied his bloody knuckles and looked over at Neji, He groaned trying to turn to his side but being unable to, Tokuma reached across as best he could and reclined the seat back a little more, his hand inadvertently touching his thighs.

Not thinking he brushed his hand slowly across the other boys thighs and sighed a little.

Neji moaned a little at the contact and Tokuma snatched his hand back.

He stared a moment before turning to drive.

_Reckless…_

Whether the thought was directed at himself or the boy next to him.

_Scum…_

That’s what the man had been, and he deserved having all five of those disgusting teeth of his that Tokuma had loosened knocked out.

Tokuma tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

He felt sick even recalling why he’d been so disgusted to the point he’d had to pummel the bastard.

He felt ill recalling. Pulling over he squeezed his eyes shut a grimace.

_“Toku-chan can you come here?”_

_“Yes! Tousan!” Tokuma ran to his father, the eight-year-old boy bounding back to the home taking a short cut through the garden._

_“I told you not to do that, it disturbs the flowers,” his father said scolding him._

_“Sorry Tousan” Tokuma said, feeling a little embarrassed at the scolding._

_He hoped he wouldn’t get in trouble tonight. He hated when his father “disciplined him” it made him feel icky. His mother wouldn’t say anything anymore, she just watched now._

_When she used to do something, later she’d have marks all over her body from when she confronted his father._

_Sometimes he’d hear her, angry that she saw him touching ‘her baby’ but he’d hit her until she was the color of cherries, and then he’d climb on top of her despite her telling him no._

_He always felt gross afterwards and through tears he’d shuffle to the bathroom and try to wash away the feeling of hands on him._

_Tokuma frowned._

_“Toku-chan there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, come inside?”the man asked._

_“Yes” Tokuma said stomach already in knots._

_Sitting in his father’s lap had become his own private hell since he was six. Sometimes the man just had him sit while he sniffed his hair and pet his leg. Other times it got weirder and grosser. Tokuma didn’t like the feeling of that stuff on his skin._

_Today proved to be worse than he’d ever imagined._

_“Tokuma,” the man pushed his shoulders down till he was on hands and knees. “Yeah like that”_

_‘im scared…’_

_His father moved behind him stroking his thighs and Tokuma batted his hands away._

_“No” he said sharply, trying to imitate the tone Hizashi-sama used when his little boy acted naughty._

_“I’m just as nervous Tokuma its ok.”_

_“No!” he said again more urgently._

_His father shuffled in front of him and when he tried to sit up his father grabbed his hair._

_“Has Hira ever done this to you?”_

_“No…he would never”_

_“Stay away from him he’s a bad man,” his father grabbed his chin, unzipping his pants._

_Tokuma began struggling._

_“Stop it” his father spat harshly jerking him._

_The tone startled him and then his father forced his mouth open._

_He stopped struggling. His arms and legs feeling weak._

_“Good boy,” the man breathed, “stop it, yeah, so unlike your mother-cooperative…”_

_He’d cried the whole evening after that._

_Hira had asked him what was wrong. Tearfully he’d explained what happened to him._

_Hira had been appalled._

_“A father should never do that to his child.”_

_“will you take care of me now?”_

_“Yes. Always.”_

_He’d slept over at Hira’s place and had felt safe._

_Later that night the man had crawled on top of him as his father used to do his mother._

_Underneath the man, he’d realized nothing really mattered anymore._

_Nothing in his life was his._

_Not even his body._

_“No one will ever believe you,” Hira had said when he finished. Tokuma had stared blankly at the man._

_He’d told his mother about his father again._

_That morning at breakfast his mother had poured boiling hot water over the man before beating him bloody with the pot._

_Tokuma watched from the doorway. He told his mother about Hira after that and she’d grabbed a kitchen knife and told him to go to Hizashi-sama’s place._

_Entering the home he could hear Hizashi trying to compromise with his son._

_“No!Bego!”he could hear Neji yelling._

_“Neji-chan please.”_

_Tokuma slammed the door hard, knowing it would make Neji a lot more agreeable. He’d always been frightened by loud noises wanting his father to protect him. He would help Hizashi out, Hizashi never touched him inappropriately and Neji liked his company usually and often quieted his tantrums._

_“Now you wish to be held? Tokuma is that you?”_

_Tokuma ran to the man and just about attached himself to Hizashi’s side._

_“I leave for business for a few days and I get hugs from Toku-chan. How nice” the man said petting his hair. laughing softly, he paused noticing the boy not moving from his burying his face in his side. Tokuma heard Neji huff irritably. ”Did you miss me that much?” Hizashi laughed patting his head, he stopped abruptly, “No, Neji we don’t hit” He felt Hizashi sway a little and Tokuma knew  from the puff of air above his head that the little boy had tried to kick him._

_“My Tousa!”_

_“Neji” that tone again and the little boy stopped choosing instead to squeeze himself to Hizashi with a sly smile his little toes just barely brushing the crown of Tokuma’s head._

_‘Naughty…’_

_He was still trying to kick him._

_A loud gunshot outside and Hizashi pulled Tokuma to his side much firmer than before, he must have tightened his grip on Neji too because the little boy started to protest earnestly even though he’d buried his face in Hizashi’s shoulder at the loud noise._

_“Stay here” he said making Tokuma crouch near the couch then setting his little boy down for Tokuma to hold on to before scurrying off to go outside._

_Neji wasn’t happy about any of it Tokuma recalled._

_Later he’d learned his mother tried to shoot Hira for “defiling” her son when he’d disarmed the knife from her._

_Taiyo had called her a lying witch._

_She’d pleaded with the man to do something, and he had._

_He covered it up, along with her abuses._

_Somehow Hizashi had gotten involved. Tokuma had heard rumors that Hizashi was “sick and tired of the Hyuuga system” and was working to get rid of it. Tokuma wondered if he ever would be able to._

_If Taiyo would ever let him._

_Taiyo wasn’t a compromising man._

_His mother had been furious in the weeks following, she’d told Tokuma she loved him and had given him her hair tassels before she’d suddenly vanished._

_He never saw his mother again._

_Later he discovered she’d gone after Taiyo-sama._

_He’d originally been of the main branch but after his mother’s disappearance and “discrepancies around his birth” he’d been branded._

_Nothing had really changed Tokuma thought._

_His father may be dead, his mother out of the picture, but there was still a monster in his bed every night._

Tokuma blinked the wetness away from his eyes putting the car in drive, he sped off toward the compound, stopping only a few times when Neji awoke with only half a warning that he was going to puke.

Shikamaru sighed sitting up in bed, thoughts straying to Neji.

_He’s my ticket in…_

His father had told him to drop investigating the Hyuugas but he couldn’t.

_So why did you let him leave…_

Shikamaru bit his lip, not understanding his own actions.

~~‘You even gave him a heads up why?’~~

_Because I wanted to…?_

_~~‘Foolish’~~ _

Shikamaru blinked hard catching himself.

_Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness…_

Shikamaru chuckled a little despite himself.

He sat back in bed, looking over the files on his laptop. Frowning he grabbed his phone.

He had intended to put a tracker on Neji’s phone, but he hadn’t. When he was outside with the boy it would have been all too easy to put one on there as he smoked the cigarette under the guise of putting his number in his phone. And yet…

_I hesitated…_

He’d been fully intent on investigating the boy but he’d let the chance slip because…

_It…didn’t feel right…_

Gazing at those full lips, those cloudlike eyes it felt strange…

_Setting him up…?_

What even was he trying to do?

He was unsure himself.

Breathing out a frustrated sigh he slammed his laptop and threw himself under his covers, cringing when he heard it thud to the floor.

_Mom will chew me out if that’s broken…_

Shikamaru grimaced, opening his phone and instead searching through his social media for a photo of the boy occupying his head space.

He couldn’t find one and he closed his phone feeling oddly disappointed.

Thinking back over that night, it felt like forever ago already, he hadn’t gone to the shogi house, his gut telling him not to. But he’s sought out Itachi.

The mysterious boy was an enigma and he felt also that there was something more to him. That there was more to him than eye candy and he wondered if anyone had ever taken the time to uncover what was underneath that seemingly cold exterior.

_It’s the same with Neji…_

Shikamaru tskd, rolling over irritably shutting his eyes.

“Neji please” Tokuma said a little exasperated

“I want you right now,” the other boy said huskily.

Sneaking Neji back in the compound proved to be a little easier than expected.

Taiyo had been hunting for him earlier, but since Hiashi had left and not returned without a word, he’d had other matters to attend to instead of torturing Neji for his behavior earlier.

And also not responding to the man’s summons

_Luck…_

But for how much longer.

_He’s gonna chew him out…_

Tokuma just hoped Hiashi would be back before Taiyo remembered and did something drastic.

Trying to put the boy to bed was proving difficult. He’d returned to consciousness still drunk and was behaving less than classy.

“I want you in my mouth, or me, doesn’t matter right now…” Tokuma closed his eyes sighing a bit.

“Neji stop it,” Tokuma said shaking the boy’s shoulders a little, he stared into dazed pale eyes and sighed at the unfocused look set on him. He gathered both his wrists before pushing him until he lay on his back.

Neji had already tried to “run back to the club” to speak to someone.

After hesitating Tokuma settled between his spread thighs pinning him when he tried to move, moving  his hips out of reach when Neji tried to grind against him.

Tokuma was glad he hadn’t tried to get the boy to change from his club attire. This whole ordeal could have been so much more troublesome. He doubted Neji had the coordination right now to even think of changing to sleeping clothes.

“Why are you acting like this?” he asked softly.

Neji tossed his head to the side closing his eyes, and Tokuma sensed that he just didn’t hear him rather than blatantly ignoring him.

He did that sometimes.

_A lot of times…_

It reminded Tokuma of Hiashi every time he did that.

“Nej-“

“His anniversary is coming up…” Tokuma sat up at that.

Tokuma moved from between his thighs instead settling beside him.

He swallowed hard knowing exactly who Neji was speaking about.

“fourteen years and it still hurts…like a void…like I can’t move on…why can’t I…?”

“The death of a parent is a hard pill to swallow… I don’t know if it ever truly gets easier…it just hurts less sometimes…” Tokuma said hoarsely. He knew from experience. Sometimes he was angry more than anything.

Who knows what happened to her. Was she sold? Was she under the floorboards of the compound? He didn’t know, he’d never have closure and that hurt more than anything.

“What’s crazy is…everything’s all blurry, like my memory isn’t mine”

Tokuma blinked at that.

_What?_

“What?”  he turned to look at Neji, confusion marring his features, Neji’s eyes were closed, and belatedly he realized he wasn’t slurring anymore.

“Neji explain, what do you mean?”

No answer.

Tokuma leaned down listening to his heavy breaths.

Tokuma frowned, rising and pushing the small wastebasket near the bed.

Exiting he frowned a little concerned at what the boy had just said.

_“Like my memories aren’t mine” As in his father’s death what does he mean…?_

Tokuma shut the door with a soft click.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” a deep voice whispered into his ear.

Hiashi stopped his eye from twitching just barely.

“Nothing. Sit” He said, not bothering with pleasantries.

He felt the man smirk against his ear and just about stopped himself from rising and leaving.

_Get this over with…_

Hiashi sighed harshly through his nose as Shikaku took a seat across from him.

Hiashi ignored him a moment instead stretching his peripheral to observe his surroundings in a brief scan. It was the same place he and Hizashi used to sneak off too when their parents weren’t watching for them at every moment of the day.

It was why he’d grabbed Neji’s beverage earlier that morning, it was Hizashi’s favorite. He wondered if Neji knew that detail.

Focusing white eyes on Shikaku he narrowed them watching Shikaku trace his features.

“Keep your nose out of my business” Hiashi said simply.

Shikaku narrowed his eyes.

“What are you talking about? ” Shikaku replied, it wasn’t a question.

“You know exactly what it is I’m referring to” Hiashi let that float around.

Shikaku’s jaw tightened a little and those sharp eyes scrutinized him mercilessly.

“You know I don’t fool with you or your corrupt game Hyuuga” Shikaku spat.

Hiashi sat back smirking a bit.

“Funny you weren’t acting like that years ago.”

Shikaku’s eyes tightened further before he leaned back.

“What do you want.” Shikaku said and Hiashi felt his patience wearing thin.

_Good…_

He stared at him a moment.

“You know what I want,” he said voice dropping to a sultry tone, Shikaku immediately stiffened.

With his foot Hiashi extended his leg stroking it up along the inside of Shikaku’s calf trailing up slowly.

Shikaku snatched his ankle, stopping his ascent up his leg.

“I want you to honor our deal” Hiashi hissed lowly.

“I have.” Shikaku growled at him, and Hiashi’s brows furrowed.

“You know I have…” Shikaku murmured quietly.

Hiashi’s hard look softened a little.

Only a little, he doubted his face even changed.

“I will honor that deal to the end you know why,” Shikaku said quietly looking him in the eye Hiashi felt a fist of emotion lodge in his throat.

_But I don’t understand…_

Shikaku didn’t need to know anything about that though.

Those treacherous, tumultuous feelings.

He crushed it.

“You better,” Hiashi said rising he paused. “Keep your brat away from mine I might add.”

Shikaku snorted at that “He’s not interested in your brat, or your business Hyuuga…”

“Funny, I can’t remember a time when you weren’t in my business like a child,” Hiashi sneered. Shikaku bristled at that

“Funny, I can remember a time when you used to use your mouth for better purposes I guess we’ve both grown up” Shikaku spat.

Hiashi shot him a piercing icy glare Shikaku returned the cold look.

“Careful Nara, there’s a line and you’re very close to it”

“That line got crossed long ago Hyuuga” Shikaku said rising.

They stared across at each other two opposing forces until they mutually backed down from one another.

This was not the place for a scene.

Hiashi blinked turning his back to Shikaku and walking away.

* * *

 

It was dark when Neji woke up again.

He couldn’t really recall how he’d made it back to the compound

_Which is more embarrassing not knowing what I said or not knowing who undressed me and put me to bed?..._

Neji looked down noting his state of undress, and something in his stomach made him feel revulsion.

He felt sticky, gross even.

_Why?... it’s not that hot in here…_

He looked around his room it was dark, not a sound anywhere, a brief glance and he saw his door was locked.

Frowning, he rose, intent on showering unnoticed.

He grabbed his phone.

Stepping into the hall he noted the warmth of the floor by his door, confusion pulling at his brows.

Dismissing it he stalked to the bathroom.

After bathing halfway to his room he was intercepted by Yuki.

_Fuck…I know he’s pissed…_

He had to be, and from the bandages on his face Hiashi had let the man have it.

_So now he’s gonna take it out on me…_

Neji frowned.

“Neji” the man said staring down his nose at him.

“Yuki-sama” Neji returned, he didn’t bow, choosing instead to focus on the towel around his waist and his clothes in hand.

He hoped the man wouldn’t really try to have serious conversation considering Neji’s state of undress.

_That means nothing to them…_

“Taiyo-sama relayed to me that you did not respond to his order that he sent you,” Yuki said conversationally.

Neji tensed just a little.

“My apologizes I didnt see it” Neji replied sarcasm dripping from each word.

Yuki clocked it, and instead of an angry outburst like usual he smirked.

_What?..._

“Hmm as he has already mentioned, go  check in on your affairs,” Yuki said vaguely, taking his leave.

It was strange for him to be here anyway.

_Just to tell me that?..._

Neji frowned entering his room. He changed before sitting on the edge of his bed.

_My affairs…?_

Neji frowned, before he knew.

He checked his bank account.

A cool zero met him. Shocked he stared for a moment. The cushy sum his father had left him gone.

He was literally stuck on the compound now. He didn’t have a cent to his name. He just knew Taiyo had ensured he wouldn’t have any access to the cars on the compound.

Hiashi had allowed him to have access to some of it but it appeared Taiyo had a better way of dishing out a punishment. Though Neji knew that was only the beginning.

_Old bastard…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok yeah its been forever since an update but im a student in college so yeah lol. rest assured this whole story is planned out and wont be abandoned,feel free to stop by my tumblr for questions about it


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